Frostbite
by Evil Woman
Summary: Cara Frost is hired by the WWE as a backstage assistant. She does what she's told and keeps to herself. Nobody has a problem with her...at least until a bet is made. Shannon Moore x OC
1. The Bet is Made

Cara Frost is hired by the WWE as a backstage assistant. She keeps to herself and does what she is told; nobody has a problem with her. At least until a bet is made… Shannon Moore x OC

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Cara sat by the stage manager's office, ready for a boring task. She stuck to herself and that's the way she liked it. People asked too many questions and many of those questions she didn't want to answer. Her hand instinctively clutched her left arm. Why did it hurt when she thought about it?

"Damn reflexes." Cara mumbled as she glanced at her watch. The show would begin in an hour. She pinned back her dark hair with two pins.

"Ms. Frost. Please deliver these scripts to the men's locker room." A stage manger ordered her, dropping a box on the floor beside her.

"Ok." She tucked the box under her arm and walked the short distance to the men's locker room. She knocked loudly on the door, calling through the wood, "Everyone decent?" She heard an approving yell and opened the door. She walked to the center table and dropped the box loudly. "Here are your scripts. Fight nice." She gave them a small smile before walking out. As the door closed behind her, she heard the scramble to get their scripts. She shook her head and continued back the office. As she resumed her spot in her usual chair, the back of her neck tingled with apprehension. Cara glanced around; Glen Jacobs was walking towards her. She relaxed; everybody felt a bit uneasy around Glen. His size and his attitude in the ring were intimidating and it just lingered. Cara collapsed in her chair and pulled out small pad of paper she always kept in her back pocket. It was a small habit of hers; she would write to release her feelings, her aggressions, or her personal thoughts. When she would get back to the hotel, she would rip the pages she used and toss them in her journal. It was a way to keep her journal safe and still have a way to vent her emotions. She started to write her emotions onto the paper so they wouldn't show on her face.

MEANWHILE

"Hey guys," Jamie Noble called the men still lounging around the locker room before the show. "Who do you think would be the first one to nail that stage assistant?" Several guys grinned, a few others looked disgusted, and a few others still didn't heed the question.

"Are you suggesting starting a wager?" Chris Mordetzky asked. Jamie nodded, a sick smile crossing his face. "All right, name the terms. What does the winner get from the rest of us?" Chris leaned back in his chair.

"How 'bout a beating from every other guy here?" Brett Major chimed in. Jamie gave him a glare but continued thinking.

"How about the winner gets two hundred dollars from everybody who chips in?" Chris suggested. Jamie nodded.

"But it's got to be something more than money? I say, whoever wins gets two hundred bucks from everybody involved, and we'll get the writers to challenge for Alvin's US Championship." Jamie added. Chris nodded.

"Ok, now who's in?" Chris asked. Several people threw money down on the table. Even Alvin tossed in his share. "Now we need a money keeper, somebody who won't lose it or steal it."

"Wait up; we might still have a contender. How about it, Shannon? Care for a wager? First one to nail that assistant that delivers the scripts gets all the money here and a shot for Alvin's US Championship." Shannon came out the showers, vigorously drying his hair with a towel.

"No, Noble. I'm not taking some stupid bet for sex." Shannon tossed the towel in his gym bag and started lacing up his wrestling boots under his pants.

"Come on. She's young, hot, sexy, and perfect for you." Noble taunted. Shannon shook his head.

"Don't bother, Jamie. He probably already has a plan to nail her. He's just waiting for it." Chris laughed. Shannon stood and glared at Chris. "Ooh, somebody's a little sensitive. What are you defending your own personal bitch?" Chris stood and glared back at Shannon.

"You think that woman is just some trophy? Some notch to stick in your belt?" Shannon glowered at all the men in the locker room. "You ought to be ashamed for thinking that woman is nothing more than a one night stand." Shannon finished lacing his boots and stormed from the locker room. He needed to find her.

Cara finished her thoughts and stuck the pad back in her pocket. It was good to have a few minutes to clear her head.

"CARA!!" James, the head stage manager yelled. He was a brash man but he demanded the same of everyone, even Cara. "We found another script. Go give this to Shannon Moore." James forced the script into her hands and shoved her down the hall. Cara tried to ignore the memory that came to mind with the shove and walked back to the men's locker room. She was about to turn the corner into the hall for the men's locker room when she was knocked off her feet by someone coming the opposite way.

"Oh, God, I'm sorry." Somebody's voice said as she was gently helped to her feet. Cara held onto the script until she saw who had helped her. Shannon Moore himself was standing in front of her; his hands were gently holding her arms. "Are you ok? You look like you hit the ground hard." Shannon asked concerned. He looked at her hands, what she had hit the ground with. Cara instinctively pulled back, her habits returning. "Is something wrong?" Shannon asked. Cara shook her head, tugging the long sleeve of her sweater down more over her hand. She felt the script in her other hand and held it out for him.

"I was supposed to give this to you. Your script got separated from everybody else's." Cara tried to keep the tone of her voice professional but many memories were coming to the front of her mind. Shannon took the script but he looked concerned.

"By the way, you may want to stop delivering to the men's locker room. They have a bet going with you and I think you don't want part of it." Shannon warned.

"I'll handle myself, thank you. Good bye." Cara tried to be polite and turned away. She hurried down the hall, keeping her sleeves pulled well down. Shannon was confused; he sighed and walked towards the garage.

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So, what do you think? Please hit that pretty purple button that says 'review'

EW;)


	2. Tears and Fights

A/N: I love you all! The reviews I got were all loving and supportive and I love you all. Wow, I really am not upholding my pen name...oh well. My special thanks to all who reviewed: **lknights91** and **Caged Sparkle Black**. I'm glad both of you like Shannon and my story.

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**CHAPTER TWO**

Cara Frost sat alone in her car. Her face was in her hands, her sobs thunderously loud in the small space. Another sleepless night, another horrible phone call, with another terrible day lying ahead. She stopped her crying to clean up; her eyes were red-rimmed. She was glad she didn't wear makeup for this reason. She spent so much time crying that she would spend all her other time putting it on again. Cara wiped her face, hoping the redness would fade from her eyes. She pulled the pins out of her hair, letting it fall around her face. A little cover for the moment would do. She climbed out of the car, clutching her jacket around her as a sharp, icy wind blew. She hurried into the arena, her heels clicking; the noise however brought sharp memories to her mind.

_He tapped the pipe along the wall, listening to the metallic ring. He walked along, listening to each change in the pitch of the pipe. She lay on the floor, her lip busted open._

"_Tell me, Cara. What did you tell the police?" he asked. His voice was a harsh hiss, biting into her very soul._

"_I didn't tell them anything. I swear I didn't say anything to them." She cried. Cara shied back, her dark hair falling over her eyes as he stepped closer; he knelt to her level._

"_You had better hope so Cara. Because if I see one cop sneaking around here, or showing up with a warrant, I promise that you and I will have a very harsh discussion." He growled, grabbing her throat. Cara clutched his arm, whimpering. "Be a good girl, Cara. Because there will never be anyone but me to catch you when you fall. And I may not always decide to catch you."_

"Cara, are you ok? CARA?" a hard voice was yelling. Cara shook her head, clearing her mind of the harsh memory. She looked to see James, the head stage manager looking at her. "Are you ok, Cara? You look pale as a ghost." He touched her shoulder gently, even though she shied away.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just this darn cold snap. I'll be ok, don't worry about me." Cara brushed him away as she walked to the staff lockers. She clutched her arm to her side, ignoring the burning pain spreading across her chest. "God, they're just a bad as before." Cara mumbled to herself. She stored her purse, placing her pad of paper in her pocket before she walked to the management office. Her hands were buried in her pockets, the burning feeling fading slowly. A single tear slid down her face; she brushed it away quickly. The memories she tried so hard to suppress, to bury in her past were beginning to surface more and more. A single touch now brought memories. Cara sat alone in a steel chair, the pain of the memories now leaving her cold.

"Cara, take these to the Diva's locker room, will you?" Josephine, the senior management head, asked her.

"Sure." Cara stood stiffly, taking the small box and tucking it under her arm.

"Are you doing ok, Hun? I know this is a big change for you and I know you haven't had the best of times." Josephine was the only one who knew Cara's past and why she was hired. Cara could barely nod to the only motherly figure in her life. Josephine was like a mother to everyone on the backstage crew, especially to Cara.

"I'm doing ok. I just…I just keep remembering things around here. All the violence in the ring, all the pain these men feel. It's just too similar." Cara sighed. "I know it's not real, but still, they feel that pain. They feel pain; that is real. The story is all lies but the pain is real. I just keep getting reminders when I'm supposed to forget." Cara dropped the box and started crying again. Josephine wrapped her arms around Cara, soothing her.

"Just let it out, sweetie. I know; I know you feel bad. Just let it all out." Josephine whispered. Cara continued crying, her small body shaking violently. They stood that way for a long time: Cara crying out the pain in her heart and Josephine just giving her the silent comfort she needed. When the tears stopped coming, Cara pulled back and wiped her eyes. "Feel better honey?" Josephine asked. Cara nodded, still wiping the moisture from her cheeks. "Go clean yourself up and I'll deliver this for you." Josephine said. She picked up the small box and walked from the office. Cara moved slowly to the bathroom; she washed her face, cleaning away the signs of her inner turmoil. Once she found herself presentable, she looked at herself in the mirror. She really wasn't a bad looking girl: dark brown hair, chocolaty eyes, a height of 5'2" and a figure that most girls would die to have naturally. But she still saw flaws in herself. She thought she was too skinny. The women here, the women that got all the dates and guys they could ever want, were fuller than she was, more attractive than she was. Cara pinned back her hair again; she didn't care if anyone saw. Nobody really cared anyway so why should she hide it. She placed her hands on her hips, staring at herself critically.

"I think you look just perfect, sweet thing." A Southern voice echoed in the bathroom. Cara jumped visibly, moving away from the door. Jamie Noble was leaning against the frame, watching her with a perverted smile. "No need to be scared, darling." He said, stepping into the bathroom. Cara stepped back even more. "I'm sorry. I really should introduce myself. I'm Jamie Noble. I know you've probably seen me around the locker room but we've just never been introduced. May I know your name, my dear?" Jamie smiled.

"Cara. Cara Frost." She stammered slightly. Cara backed against the wall; her fear had not died in the years since she had come here.

"NOBLE! GET OUT OF HERE NOW!!" Josephine's angry voice screeched. Cara flinched slightly at the yell but made sure to hide it. Jamie ran from the room but not before flashing a smile to Cara. "Cara, honey, you ok? Did he try anything?" Josephine was instantly beside her. Cara shook her head.

"I'm fine," she said quietly. Josephine wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Stay in the office tonight, honey. You'll help me around here. You shouldn't be running around with these insensitive buffoons." Josephine ordered. Cara could only nod to her superior. They walked back into the office, Cara sitting on the sofa. "Now, could you review these forms and make sure they're correct. Once they're confirmed, I'll get Melody to deliver them." Josephine handed her a stack of papers. Cara smiled a bit and began flipping through the pages.

"Hi, Josephine, Sorry I'm late. Traffic was a nightmare; I thought I would miss the whole show." Melody strolled in over an hour late. "Hey, Cara," Cara barely looked up from her work. Melody and Cara didn't see eye to eye on many things. Melody worked to meet the big muscular men like Chris Mordetzky or Chuck Palumbo. Cara worked to travel and see the world. Melody would always stroll in, no hurry at all, no matter how late and blame it on traffic or some lame excuse. Cara ignored Melody's high-pitched, whiny voice and continued her work.

"Well, Melody. I hate to say this but your tardiness is becoming a problem. I'm afraid that if you are late again, I'm going to have to fire you." Josephine sat back in her chair. Melody looked like she had been slapped across the face.

"What? I have only been late like two times." Melody protested.

"Try two hundred," Cara muttered under her breath. Melody turned on her.

"Don't you dare be snooty with me! At least I can get any guy here to talk to me; which is better than you who send men running away with your emotional baggage." Melody laughed. "No wonder your dad didn't like you. You couldn't please a man if you knew how." Cara snapped and tackled Melody to the ground.

"DON'T YOU EVER TALK ABOUT MY FAMILY AGAIN, YOU FILTHY WHORE!! YOU CAN GET THEM TO TALK BUT COULD YOU GET THEM TO STAY?!" Cara screamed as Josephine struggled to pull the tiny Cara off of Melody.

"You little bitch!" Melody screamed back. Cara pulled out of Josephine's arms and attacked Melody again. They careened out the open door into the hall, still attacking each other. Cara scratched, kicked, and punched until several strong arms pulled her away from Melody. Melody was held back by Glen Jacobs and Dave Finlay, their strong arms effectively restraining her and making her legs flail to try and get to Cara. Cara felt an arm around her waist and several on her arms.

"BOTH OF YOU, ENOUGH OF THIS!!" Josephine's voice echoed in the hall. Cara stopped immediately, but Melody still struggled. She screamed to be let go but Glen and Dave refused to release her. "You," Josephine barked, pointing at Melody, "Are finished here. You are the cause of more fights and disruptions among the stage assistants than anyone. Get your things and leave now." Josephine turned to the men holding Cara. "Take her into my office." The command didn't leave room for question as the men escorted her back to the office. Cara didn't struggle; she simply walked into the office. The men released her and a few left but two remained to keep an eye on her: Matt Hardy and Shannon Moore. More screaming came from the hall before Josephine blew in like the Wicked Witch of the West.

"Josephine," Cara started. "I'm really sorry for attacking her. I know I don't have justification but I couldn't let her just talk to me like that." Josephine stopped her with a wave of her hand.

"Cara, I know what has happened to you and I understand your reaction. However I will ask that you restrain yourself from now on. I know it will not be easy but I will not tolerate any violence among the stage assistants." Josephine paused to gather her thoughts. "Go back to the hotel, Cara. Your punishment will be a temporary suspension. One week, and if I hear of any violence from you, I will extend it." Josephine stated blankly. Cara simply nodded, and stood up. "Shannon, Matt. If you wouldn't mind, make sure Cara reaches her car without incident, from anyone." Josephine eyed the two men carefully. They both nodded and followed Cara out of the office. Cara pulled her purse from her locker and shoved her pad and pen back inside. A week off would be good for her; she could recover and get her emotions under control again. She walked to the garage, ignoring many of the men. She knew she was probably bruised a bit and maybe had some scratches from Melody's nails. Cara ignored every bit of pain from her limbs as she continued down the hall. She pushed through the exit door, stomping into the cold air. Cara hurried through the blustery wind to slip inside her car. Cara started the car, cranking up the heat. As she waited for the warm air, Cara pulled out her phone. The screen blinked 'One New Voicemail.' Cara wanted to scream but reluctantly listened to the message.

'**You little whore! If I ever find out where you ran to, I am going to track you down and beat you so bad you won't move again! I'm giving you one last chance to come home. If you aren't at my house in one week, I'm going to hunt you down and there will be no mercy! Be there or be dead!' **Cara deleted the message. More tears slid from her eyes. She blinked them away before pulling out of the parking lot and driving to the hotel.

Shannon and Matt had stood in the cold, waiting until Cara's car left. After only a few minutes, the car drove out of their sight and they both hurried back inside the arena.

Ok, weird things happen now. Not so much Shannon in this chapter but it sets up stuff for later. Please hit the shiny button labeled 'Review'. PLEASE!


	3. Two Dreams and an Attack

Cara stared into space as the therapist tried to make sense of her nightmares. She knew what they were: pain and suffering she had suppressed to spare herself more. She ignored his monotonous voice as he repeated the same spiel he demanded every month.

"You have to confront him or you could become progressively worse." He stated. Cara shook her head.

"I won't see that man until he is in an orange jumpsuit with a plate of glass between us." Cara repeated her own demand. She refused to see her father unless he was in prison and there was inch thick glass between them.

"Well, then there is nothing I can do if you refuse to solve the problem. His abuse isn't going to fade with time. You must confront him to achieve any sense of normality in your life." He babbled on. Cara tuned him out. She watched the clock hands tick away the last few minutes of their session. When the hand struck ten, she stood and started walking towards the door. "Miss Frost. I sincerely hope you will consider speaking to him. A median would help you if there is no other way." Cara ignored him. She wouldn't speak to him while he could still get to her .She stepped lightly down the steps of the office, climbing in her car and driving to the airport.

"Stupid blighter," Cara mumbled. She couldn't wait to get back on the road, back to her normal routines. She slumped in her plane seat, just wanting to be on the move again. The plane took off and Cara tried to sleep, knowing she wouldn't get any tonight.

"_Look what I have here, Cara. Do you know what this is?" his sardonic voice echoed. Cara shook her head, holding back a scream of terror for what was to come. "It's a search warrant from the police. They get to look around here and they can take anything they want. Do you know what this means?"_

"_No, I don't." Cara tried to keep her voice calmer than how she really was._

"_It means you told them something. They couldn't have gotten this unless somebody told them they needed to look here. And you are the only one who I know they have talked to." He growled, grabbing her by her brown hair._

"_Please, I didn't tell them anything. And I saw them talking to the neighbors while you were on your business trip." Cara pleaded, trying to divert the pain from her._

"_Really? Good girl, Cara, always observant. Now tell me: which of the neighbors did they talk to?" He released her hair, letting her fall to the floor._

"_The next door neighbors and the ones across the street; I didn't see anyone else." She started crying. He looked down on her, masked anger in his face._

"_Good girl." He stormed out of the house and slammed the door behind him. Cara took her chance. She ran to her small bedroom, pulling out the light suitcase and climbed out the back window. She threw the case over the back fence and climbed over herself. He would kill her when he found out she had lied to him. She dropped on the other side of the wood fence, ignoring the shooting pain in her ankle. She grabbed the suitcase and ran to her one sanctuary: her tree. It was a big tall oak, and she had spent many years up in this tree when the world got too rough to handle. She managed to climb up with the case; she sat on a wide branch and shivered as a wind blew past. Cara was free. She could go to the police and tell them everything. She could demand protection for herself. But she had to get to the station first. Three miles was a long way and there weren't many places to hide in this city._

Cara shot awake; she pinched the bridge of her nose. She could only be glad for one thing about her nightmares: she didn't cry out, she just woke up. Sleep was out of the question for the rest of the flight but she couldn't help but try. She lay in a resting doze, not quite out enough to sleep, but enough to lose notice of everything around her.

When the plane finally landed, Cara grabbed her luggage fast and bolted from the airport. She wanted to be back among the monotony of WWE Smackdown. It was easier to forget what had been when she looked at what was happening now. She loaded things into her rental car and drove to her hotel. She was tired but she would have to catch small naps between the madness of the days ahead. Cara laid the suitcase in the corner and crawled onto the bed. She needed more sleep to get through the day; her eyes drifted shut and she fell into a light doze.

_The light suitcase thudded behind as Cara ran through the rain-soaked streets. She ducked under a bus stop overhang. She glanced around at the dim street signs. Two more blocks and she would be at the police station. A car's headlights passed and she sat huddled on the bench. When the street was dim again, Cara walked hurriedly in the rain and crossed the street. Her ankle was throbbing harshly; she brushed wet, dark lochs from her face._

"_Just two blocks. Just two more blocks." Cara thought to herself. She reached another stoplight and hurriedly pressed the button to cross. Once the light changed, she ran as fast as her throbbing leg would. "One more block." She thought again. Another car's headlights appeared ahead and Cara ducked into an alley. Her heart beat in fear as the car sped by. She ran again once it had passed enough; the sign of the police station glowed softly in the rain. She renewed her effort and pressed on despite the renewing pain. She reached the door and pushed the heavy glass, her wet fingers barely able to grip the handle. She stumbled into the lobby like a drowned rat._

"_Miss, are you ok?" the receptionist asked._

"_I want to speak to Sergeant Williams. I will only speak to Sergeant Williams." Cara breathed._

"_Ok, hang on a moment." The woman hurried off down a hall. Cara dropped the suitcase and shivered as the water dripped off her._

"_Cara! Did you walk here in the rain?" Sergeant Williams wrapped his arm around her shoulders and led her to his office. "Mary, get me some towels and some fresh clothes." The receptionist scampered off and he sat Cara in a chair. "What are you doing here?"_

"_I want to confess everything he has done. I ran away from him but I want to be placed somewhere safe from him. Please." Cara pleaded._

"_Ok Cara. Let's not worry about anything else until we get you some fresh clothes." Sergeant Williams assured her. Mary appeared with some clothes and several towels. "Mary, take her into the bathroom and help her get cleaned up." Mary wrapped her arms around the young Cara and led her from the room. Another officer stepped into the room._

"_Is that the girl?" he asked. Sergeant Williams nodded. "Is she going to confess?" He nodded again. "Poor thing; only seventeen and she must turn in the one man she has for family."_

"_Well, it's not bad enough for her already. She already admitted to three attempts of suicide. This is the closest she can get to salvation." Sergeant Williams ran a hand through his short hair._

"_Yeah, is there any chance for foster care for her?" the officer asked._

"_We'll get her a good family, arrange a job, and set up therapy. There is no way she could walk away from this unscathed." Sergeant Williams began scribbling some notes on a pad._

Cara woke slowly. She didn't feel shaken from the memory this time. For once she woke up with only a sad sense of remembrance. It was only the dream of Sergeant Williams that didn't wake her with fear. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. The clock said she had been sleeping for almost three hours.

"Longest nap I've gotten in a long time." Cara stretched and walked to the bathroom. She washed her face and combed her hair before she grabbed a jacket and left. As she walked into the management office, Josephine stood from her desk.

"Cara, I need you to do me a few favors. Deliver these to the locker rooms but you have to hand deliver them to each person. Each thing is different and they have to receive them." Josephine put a tall stack of papers in her arms. Everything has their name on the front so just make sure the right person gets it." Josephine quickly had her on her way to the locker room. Cara knocked clumsily on the door.

"Delivery! Everyone decent?" she called. The door opened and she quickly began passing out the papers. "Shannon Moore?" she held the script up, not seeing him. "Jamie," she gave him the next script. "Mordetzky, Alvin, and David F." She passed the last of the scripts out. "Is Shannon not here yet?" she asked.

"He's in the shower. Just leave it for now." Jamie stood next to her.

"This is time-sensitive and I was told to hand deliver it to him." Cara objected. Chris stood and came closer to her.

"Don't worry. I'll give it to him the moment he gets out." Chris tried to pull the script from her hand.

"I cannot ignore what I've been ordered to do. If he is not available now, I will deliver it after I finish my delivery to the Divas locker room." Cara placed the script behind her back and pulled the door open. Jamie slammed the door shut.

"Don't worry about it. The Divas never need a script anyway. You can stay here until Shannon gets out." Jamie sneered. Cara glanced nervously among the faces.

"Please, just let me go." Cara's voice shook. Jamie shook his head, grabbing her shoulders.

"I don't think so. How about you show us that pretty little face?" Jamie drawled, threading his fingers through her hair and gripping tightly.

"No. Let me go!" Cara pushed away, earning a slap from Jamie.

"Time for some fun!" Jamie grinned maliciously. He ripped the sleeve of her sweater, grinning again at the pale skin he saw.

"GET OFF HER!!" an angry voice yelled and the sound of bodies hitting walls and floors echoed. Cara felt firm but friendly hands take her arms and pull her out the door. Cara fell against a crate, breathing heavily. "Are you ok? Did they hurt you at all?" Cara nodded, cradling her arm. "Did they hurt you?" a gentle hand touched her shoulder but Cara jumped.

"Don't!" she exclaimed, hiding her arm behind her. Shannon stood with a concerned face. His wet hair left water droplets running down his face around his green eyes.

"Come on; let me take you to Josephine's office." Shannon offered, gently touching her shoulder. Cara shied slightly but followed him anyway. Shannon opened the door and Josephine jumped up from a table as she saw Cara.

"Cara! What happened sweetie?" Josephine pulled Cara into a soft hug, holding her while she cried. "Shannon what happened?" she looked at him while soothing Cara.

"She was delivering stuff to the locker room when they started feeling a little horny. Jamie Noble is the one who tore her sleeve off." Shannon stood by the door, unsure whether to come closer or to stay back.

"Who all was involved?" Josephine asked, still holding Cara.

"Noble, Mordetzky, and Alvin," Shannon listed off. "Everyone else just stood there."

"Thank you, Shannon. I'll take care of those three. Tell them to come here immediately." Josephine took Cara by her shoulders. "Go in there and clean up. I'll get you a jacket or something to cover up that." She nodded at the younger woman and she walked into the bathroom.

"Is she alright? She was awfully jumpy when I got her into the hall." Shannon watched the bathroom door.

"Cara has her own issues; it's nothing you need to worry about, Shannon. Just tell those three hooligans to get here now." Josephine composed herself as he left. She heard Cara crying in the bathroom and she walked to the door to speak with the young woman. "Cara, I'm going to close the door so I can speak to those idiots. I'll open the door when they're gone so just stay in here; clean up a little bit and I'll be in here in a minute." Josephine closed the door as Alvin, Chris and Jamie walked in, looking innocent. "I hope you three have ways to live if you weren't here." Josephine started.

"Josephine," Jamie began, "we didn't do anything. Shannon is picking a fight with us."

"Who said Shannon told me about this issue?" she glared pointedly at them.

"Ok," Chris shrugged.

"You three assaulted one of my assistants. Because of it, all three of you are suspended for a month." Josephine grabbed three papers from her desk and began filling them in.

"Josephine," Alvin objected. "You can't suspend us because of this!" She shook her head.

"I can, Alvin, because I am the stage manager. You three could face serious charges if Cara decides to press them. Now, pack your bags and get out of the arena. Your suspension will be without pay." Josephine turned her back on them and waited until they left. Cara came out once the door slammed shut; she wrapped her arms around her waist. "Are you ok, Cara?" She nodded mutely.

"Can I borrow a jacket? I'd like to go home." Cara asked softly.

"I can give you a jacket but I can't let you leave. I'll have you transferred to my personal assistant. From now on, you work in here for me." Josephine handed her a sweater. Cara nodded almost dumbly and sat at the table.

"I am going to finish your deliveries. Stay here and I'll be back in a moment." Josephine told her. She closed the door and Cara sat, huddling in her chair. Everything around her felt cold and unfriendly. A knock on the door made Cara jump; Shannon Moore poked his head in.

"Josephine asked me to come keep an eye on you." He explained, leaning against the back of the door.

"I'm fine, really," she said quietly. She pulled the jacket closer to her. Shannon didn't reply, just leaning against the door. She shivered slightly, shifting in the chair. The room was quiet until someone tried to open the door while Shannon leaned against it. The person outside tried again and Shannon face-planted on the carpet.

"That was fun." He groaned and rubbed his nose as he stood. Cara giggled, covering her smile with a sleeve of the jacket. Josephine stepped in, rolling her eyes at Shannon, and she saw Cara giggling.

"Shannon, I think we now know how to make Cara feel better: hurt you somehow." Josephine smiled.

"Sounds fun. Can it just not involve doing more face-plants?" Shannon kept rubbing his nose. Cara kept giggling from the chair. He glanced up to see a beautiful smile on Cara's face. "Or I could do more if she has such a pretty smile." She blushed and Shannon grinned.

"Good boy, Shannon. Head back to the locker room and I'll call you when you are needed to do more face-plants." Josephine laughed. He mock-saluted the stage manager and trotted out of the door. "It's good to see you smile, Cara." The young woman smiled a little more. "Why don't you head back to the hotel? I've changed my mind. You shouldn't work right now." Cara nodded slightly and grabbed her purse from the desk. Josephine led Cara to her car, placing a small kiss to her cheek before Cara drove away.

**MY GOODNESS! How many reviews could I get for one chapter? Wow. Ok, thanks to everyone:**

**lknights91--**I know. That's why I did this to him. And just wait until the Russian gets a hold of him...

**Twinjodi--**of course it doesn't. Still don't remember why I picked it...

**tiana ()--**I'm glad you like it.

**rory21--**of course it will get better. How can she not be happy with Shannon running around?

**SBMFanatic--**thank you and I'm glad you enjoy it

**Priincess Cena--**Thank you for your lovely compliment.


	4. Breakfast and a Movie

Cara lay on the bed, crying. She could still hear the painful words from the voicemail. A message was left this morning and she hadn't moved since she had to listen. Someone knocked on her door but Cara still shook with sobs. The knock persisted. She threw the covers off and wiped away the tears still flowing. She pulled the door open and held a gasp as Shannon stood outside the door.

"Cara," he started, seeing the tears slipping from her eyes. "Has something happened? Did someone try something?" he asked in a rush.

"No, nothing happened. Please, just leave me alone." she cried and tried to slam the door shut.

"Cara, I won't let you shut me out! Tell me what is wrong!" he barked. Shannon pushed into the room, throwing the door back. Cara fell to the floor with the force of the door. "Listen, I hate seeing people suffer through something. I won't let you suffer through whatever this is without me trying to help you." Cara stared up at him with teary eyes. He knelt down to her. "I don't want to watch you suffer because of this thing." He gently held her face, his thumbs softly tracing her cheeks. She looked terrified, shaking as he held her.

"Shannon," she cried. "I can't tell you. I can't tell you what has happened. It would only get you hurt." She broke and tears streamed down her face. He pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back and kissing her hair.

"Cara, I won't ask for you to tell me. Just let me help you." He whispered into her ear. She cried into his shoulder, her small frame shaking with each sob. Her arms wrapped around his neck, seeking comfort from him. "It's ok, Cara. It's ok." He soothed her, gently rocking her small body. Slowly, she stopped crying, pulling back.

"I'm sorry." Shannon patted her shoulder.

"It's ok, Cara. It'll be ok." He smiled. He tweaked her nose, making her giggle. "Good to see you smile." He helped her to her feet. "Come have breakfast with me?" he offered. Cara glanced down at her clothes, simple blue flannel pants and a large t-shirt.

"Give me ten minutes?" she asked. Shannon nodded and stepped out of the room. Cara ran to her suitcase and grabbed clothes. She found a long blue skirt, reaching just past her knees, and a blue tank top. She dressed quickly, washing her face and combing her hair. She found a pair of flip flops and slipped them on her feet; however, Cara hesitated to grab her phone. She finally grabbed it and stuffed it into a purse. Cara walked out into the hall and was almost leveled as Shannon stood outside her room.

"Sorry." He grabbed her waist. Cara jumped at his arm around her so tightly. Shannon saw the fear spark in her eyes. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"Yes," Cara wriggled from his arms. He looked confused but they walked down the hall anyway. He took them to a small diner down the street from the hotel. As soon as he stepped inside, a rush of fans stood to greet him. Cara stepped aside, smiling slightly at the vast amount of attention he got. Once he signed and posed for innumerable autographs and pictures, Shannon wrapped an arm around her shoulders; Cara crossed her arms over her chest and glanced nervously as several men watched her as she walked with Shannon.

"Relax, Care Bear." He whispered into her ear. They sat in a booth in the back corner. Cara kept glancing around the diner. "What? Scared someone will see you with me?" Cara shook her head and buried herself in the menu. He shook his head as he watched her. A waitress came and they ordered, Cara leaning on the table. Shannon smirked at the nervous expression on her face. "You are so nervous, it's funny." She glared at him and went back to searching the restaurant. His messages had left her paranoid and she couldn't help but constantly look around the restaurant. "Cara!" Shannon said loudly. She jumped back to their table.

"Sorry. I just have something that's been bugging me for a while." She ran her hands through her hair.

"Remember what I said, Cara. Don't be afraid to let me help you." She looked down at the table, wringing her fingers together.

"You can't help, Shannon. There is too much involved for you to help." She said quietly. He took her hand, making her look into his face.

"I may not be able to solve the problem but I can make you forget about it for a while. Matt Hardy and his brother are having a party at his house in Cameron. I'm going and you're welcome to come too." Shannon invited her. Cara shook her head lightly.

"I don't do parties." She replied.

"Cara! Come on, you obviously haven't heard of the legendary Hardy parties. You will have fun, I guarantee it." He smirked. Cara looked away, wringing her fingers together again.

"I don't do parties." She repeated. Shannon sighed and laid his head on the table.

"Cara, I will drag you there and make you have fun. I never see you outside of the WWE. I don't even think you take vacations or days off." Shannon stared at her. "Think of it as a break away from the normality of the WWE." He suggested, leaning back in his seat.

"I don't do parties. I have my reasons." She stated, avoiding his face. He groaned and almost slammed his forehead into the table.

"How come? Why don't you take days off?" he asked. Cara shifted.

"It keeps my mind off other things." She replied. Shannon sighed.

"Cara, I know nothing better to keep your mind off things than a party." Shannon paused before leaning forward across the table. "I'll make you a deal. You come with me to the party for an hour. If you still want to leave, I will take you back to my house. You can stay with me for those few days." She shifted again and avoided his eyes. He reached across the table, gently taking one of her hands. She looked at him and tried to pull back her hand; he held tight, but didn't hurt her small hand. "Cara?" he asked with a plea.

"Ok," she gave in. The rest of their breakfast was quiet. When they stood to leave, Shannon wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He had seen the men and women in the diner watching them. The fan girls seemed to wonder if they were dating and he didn't need a fiasco on the internet. He hugged her tightly around her shoulders and as they walked past a girl he had signed an autograph for, he asked, hoping she heard.

"Feel better now?" He asked. She nodded mutely. "Good, I hate seeing my good buddy sad." She stifled a laugh.

"I thought Jimmy was your 'good buddy'?" she asked in response. He shrugged and took her on a detour through a shady park.

"Only in the arenas; outside the arenas, you're my pal. And I intend to make sure that pretty smile stays on your face." Shannon smirked. Cara smiled slightly. "So, do you do anything for fun on days like this?" he asked.

"Normally, I'm well asleep until I have to go to my flight," Cara laughed. Shannon smiled and hugged her around the shoulders.

"Then I'm going to have to change that. Do you feel like going to a movie?" he suggested. Cara shrugged.

"I don't mind." She walked with him, letting him lead the way. Shannon took them to a little movie theater, debating over the movie for five minutes. "I said Shannon that I don't care." She crossed her arms as they sat on the steps outside the theater.

"Come on!! Just tell me this, Harry Potter or Sweeney Todd?" he asked. Cara shivered and whispered her answer.

"Sweeney Todd," She mumbled.

"Finally!" he dragged her up and to the ticket window. "Two for Sweeney Todd!" He cheered. Once he paid for the tickets, he dragged Cara inside. He bought popcorn and they sat in the theater. "Let me ask you this now, why Sweeney Todd?" Cara flushed slightly.

"I saw the Broadway musical when I was seven and loved it. Why did you offer Sweeney?" she asked in return.

"I thought you would like seeing Johnny Depp. Though I don't understand why girls like him." Shannon grimaced.

"Three words, Mr. Moore: Captain Jack Sparrow." Cara giggled. Shannon laughed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"I knew there was a smart-aleck side to you." She blushed and gave him a light shove. Before he could say more, the theater dimmed and the movie began to play.

Once the movie was over, Shannon stood and Cara stretched her arms over her head. Shannon wrapped his arm around her shoulders and they walked out. As he led them back to the hotel, he noticed Cara laid her head on his shoulder. Her face was sleepy; by the time they entered the hotel doors, Cara was practically sleep-walking. He almost woke her up but was stopped by her smooth, calm face. He smiled at her angelic expression and lifted her into his arms. He carried her back to his hotel room; he was unsure where her key was so he might as well let her sleep in his hotel room until she woke up. Shannon managed to open the door to his room without dropping the tiny Cara. As he set her on the bed, he saw how small she was; Cara was probably no more than 5'3". He covered her with a light blanket and stretched out on the sofa.

"Wonder how I never noticed how short she was?" he asked himself. He laced his fingers behind his head and closed his eyes.

* * *

Ok, a little bit of Shannon being...well, Shannon. And this is where things start to go wrong. I won't tell you how but enjoy nonetheless.

**SBMFanatic:**Holy cracker barrels, Batman! That was a super-review! The chapter was up for five minutes and it was already there. Of course he made her smile! It's Shannon!

**lknights91:**Shannon's always cute and I'm just getting started with Noble...(evil laugh and grin)

**sideways anger:**Thank you! That's so nice!

**Twinjodi:**Yeah...we'll see what happens.

**lil-miss-wrestling-fan:**I don't know why. Shannon is so fun!

EW;)


	5. The Nightmare and the Aftermath

"NO!" Shannon shot awake at the first scream. "Don't hurt me! I didn't tell them anything!" Cara was screaming in her sleep. He clambered from the sofa to Cara's tossing form.

"Cara!" he called, shaking her shoulders. She tossed and turned in the fits of her nightmare; he continued to shake her shoulders and call her name. "CARA! Wake up! You're having a nightmare!" He yelled. Cara shot awake, her eyes wide with terror; she tried to push away from him as fragments of the nightmare still haunted her. "Cara, it's ok." He spoke soothingly. "It's Shannon. You're safe." Her eyes began to mist with tears; he pulled her into a calming hug.

"Oh God, Shannon!" she wrapped her small arms as far as she could around him. He gently rubbed her back and kissed her hair. She kept mumbling small phrases like 'oh God' and 'Lord help me'. Shannon squeezed her softly, whispering comforting nothings into her ear.

"It's ok, Care Bear. Shush, it'll be fine." Shannon hugged her tightly.

"What did I say?" she asked. Cara shivered as he lifted her up and set her on his lap.

"You screamed 'no' and said 'don't hurt me' and 'I didn't tell them anything'. Was it just a nightmare?" he asked. "Care Bear, talk to me."

"It was just a nightmare. I get recurring nightmares sometimes." She admitted. Shannon laid his head on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Cara." He whispered softly in her ear. She shivered again. "Want me to take you back to your room?" She nodded and Shannon lifted her up; he carried her to the door and managed to get them into the hall without dropping her. Cara wrapped her arms around his neck. When he stopped outside her room, he set her down and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you, Shannon." She reached up and kissed his cheek. "Thank you." She pulled her key from her purse that Shannon had miraculously grabbed and entered the room. She closed the door behind her with a shy smile.

"Goodnight, Cara." He whispered and walked towards his room.

* * *

Cara sat in Josephine's office, sorting paperwork and arranging piles of scripts to be delivered. Josephine stepped in, having just finished a meeting with the Superstars; she noticed a bright look on Cara's face.

"Cara, you look happy today," she smiled. The younger woman blushed and kept her face down. "Someone said they saw you and Shannon go to the movies last week. Did you have fun?" Cara shrugged.

"Kind of," she answered. Josephine grinned.

"I doubt that," she replied. "If I ask you something, will you give me an honest answer?" Josephine asked; Cara nodded. "Did you enjoy being with Shannon? I mean did you like having him take you places?"

"I guess I liked it. I had some fun." Cara admitted. She returned to sorting paperwork. Josephine leaned against the side of the table.

"Now, did you like Shannon taking care of you like that?" she asked.

"Why does it matter, Josephine?" the younger woman responded. Her motherly figure sighed and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I worry about you, Cara. You don't take any time to enjoy yourself. I don't want you to grow old and sour because you could never take enjoyment in life. I want you to be happy, Cara. You're like my own daughter; I want you to find happiness with someone." Josephine squeezed her shoulder.

"I don't know; I just don't know." Cara let her head fall.

"Take some time for yourself, every once in a while. Shannon is a good man; he won't hurt you. He's like a big, goofy teddy bear: slightly intimidating, slightly confusing, but completely harmless." Josephine paused as Cara laughed. "Just don't shut him out. I know you haven't had the best of experience with men, but believe me when I say that Shannon is a good person."

"I know. I just am scared to let him know about me." Cara admitted shyly.

"He will be your friend. If it helps at all, you don't have to tell him right now. Just let yourself be friends with him and let him know once you feel comfortable to tell him." Josephine hugged the smaller woman.

"Thanks, Josephine." Cara returned the hug.

"Now, I know you don't like talking about it but I have to know. Did you get another one of your nightmares?" Josephine knelt beside her. Cara nodded mutely. "How bad was it?"

"Shannon said I was screaming in my sleep." Cara hung her head. Josephine hugged her.

"What do you remember about it?"

"I remember seeing him. He was standing over me, yelling at me, saying I was useless as a person. He yelled that I was a wife-killer and a useless piece of nothing that shouldn't have been born. He kept saying I betrayed him to the police that I told them about his operation. He kept hitting me with something." She stopped as her voice cracked. Josephine hugged her tighter.

"It's ok, Cara. Remember how I said that there is a bright side to everything?" Cara nodded. "Well, the last time you had a nightmare that made you scream was more than a year ago. This is progress. His effect on you is lessening. And you may not think this, but I think Shannon may help you. He may help you overcome what has happened. Don't shut him out; when in doubt, let things pan out." Cara nodded again and smiled slightly.

"I'll try."

"You don't have to try. If Shannon asks you to go out with him, go." Josephine encouraged her. Cara sighed and hugged her dear friend tightly.

"Thank you, Josephine." Cara felt a slight ease on her chest. Her heart felt warmed and comforted by the support of her motherly figure. Josephine gently squeezed her shoulder and deposited a few more papers on the desk.

"Now, I need you to fill these in and I'll get them delivered to the proper people." Josephine dropped her motherly persona and assumed her role as a stage manager. Cara smiled and pulled a pen from behind her ear. Josephine stepped into the hall, surprised to see Shannon loitering in the hall. "Can I help you Shannon?" He jumped and looked slightly ashamed.

"Umm, I wanted to see if Cara was ok. I took her to breakfast, the movies, and she fell asleep so I took her to my hotel room and she had a nightmare. I was really worried about her." Shannon ran a hand through his hair. Josephine smiled.

"Cara is fine. She is still a little rattled about the nightmare but she should be fine. Did you say anything to her that might have scared her?" Josephine slipped back into the motherly figure. Shannon was quiet as he thought.

"Not that I know of; she seemed a little nervous and she looked around a lot during breakfast. I just want to help but she seems so nervous." He sighed heavily. "Do you think I made a good choice in inviting Cara to Matt's party this weekend?"

"I think so. Cara has her reasons for how she is but she needs to learn to be with people." Josephine patted his shoulder. "I never had a daughter of my own and Cara is like my own child. She is sweet but she just needs a bit of encouragement to interact." Shannon nodded and headed back to the men's locker room. He was worried if Cara would keep to her promise and go to the party with him. He sat on a bench and held his head in his hands.

"Hey, buddy. How are you doing?" Matt sat beside him and nudged his shoulder.

"Hey Matt, You and Jeff don't mind if I bring someone along to the party this weekend, do you?" Matt shook his head, his dark hair swaying with his head.

"Of course not; who are you bringing?" Matt asked.

"You know the girl who used to deliver scripts and stuff to the locker rooms?" Shannon asked. Matt nodded. "Well, I asked her to come with me last week."

"Cool, what's her name?" he asked.

"Cara," Shannon smiled as her name dripped off his lips. "She's really adorable and I want her to make some more friends." Matt smirked.

"She sounds like more than a friend to you." Shannon smacked his friend on the arm.

"She's just my friend. Cara is like, I mean, she's just absolutely the most innocent little girl I've ever known. She's adorable and you only have to tease her a tiny bit to get her to show that spunk." Shannon struggled to find an accurate description of his Cara Frost. She was adorably cute and had a mind and wit buried in careful detachment. Shannon smiled as he remembered the time he had spent with Cara.

"Well, bring her along and I'll tell Jeff to expect a new friend." Matt patted his friend on the back. Matt stood to head out to the ring. Shannon sighed.

* * *

**Don't kill me! I'm sorry! yeah almost a month without updating--I'm a bad person. Okay, some fun comes next chapter with a little more confusion courtesy of Shannon.**

**As a side note, all in favor of hurting Vince for firing Shannon, say aye! Vince is #1 on my 'Needs to Die' list at the moment. I've got the rope and duct tape! Who has the explosives? And I'm sorry about my missing responses. I've lost them somewhere in that black hole I call my room. Or maybe in my backpack? I don't know. Anyway, review bitte!**

**EW;)**


	6. A Party and More Screams

"Come on, Care Bear; we're here." Shannon tugged a reluctant Cara behind him up to Matt's house. "Come on, don't be a grouch," he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I promise that Matt and Jeff are the nicest guys you would ever meet." Cara sighed and followed him slowly. Shannon knocked on the door and caught hold of Cara's sleeve as she tried to turn back. "Remember, one hour and then you could leave." Cara pouted and resigned herself to staying.

"Hey, Shan! It's 'bout time you got here? Is this the girl Matt told me about?" a man with multi-colored hair answered the door. He had roots tattooed up his arm and onto his neck. "I'm Jeff. If this idiot ever gets you mad, I'll take care of him for you." Cara smiled and pushed her hair behind her ear.

"Take it easy, man. Cara's new around us." Shannon tugged Cara behind him and Jeff led them to the backyard. Cara was surprised by the size of it: a large pool, gazebo, and a huge patio. Shannon and Cara sat at a shaded table and Shannon tried to make Cara smile. "Care Bear, Care Bear." He called and poked her shoulder.

"Why do you keep calling me that?" Cara asked with anger. Her eyes flashed her irritation. Her promise to come was made when she was not thinking clearly and she wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hotel bed and sleep, or at least try to.

"Cara, Care Bear, it works." She sighed and propped her elbow on the table.

"Shannon! About time you got here, you lazy bum." Matt placed a beer on the table and nodded to Cara. "You must be Cara. Matt," he offered his hand. Cara smiled and shook his hand. "So, Shan, you ready to get this party officially started?"

"Of course," he stopped and looked at Cara. "Don't go anywhere," she returned his comment with a dark glare. Matt and Shannon headed off towards the pool. Shannon peeled off his gray shirt and kicked off his shoes. Cara watched the muscles in his back flex and move as Shannon stretched his arms over his head. Here eyes seemed glued to his body as he and Matt jumped into the pool. She fingered the hem of her white skirt to resist the urge to touch him. She tugged her blue tank top down slightly to distract her mind from the sight Shannon in the pool, water dripping from his hair and down his chest.

"Hey, Shan, your girlfriend is staring at you," Matt gave him a soft shove. He glanced over his shoulder to see Cara looking at him with dreamy eyes. Her fingers fiddled with the hem of her skirt and her legs were tucked under her. "Go tease her a little. Girls don't give you goo-goo eyes unless they like you." Jeff dove into the water next to them. "Jeff, isn't Cara giving Shan goo-goo eyes?"

"Yeah dude, go tease her," Jeff shoved his friend. Shannon shoved both of the Hardy's before he climbed out of the pool. He walked over to Cara, noticing someone had started talking to her. He walked up behind them and swallowed his glare as Crystal, one of his most devoted fans and a friend of Matt's was talking to her.

"How long have you known Shannon?" Crystal asked. Cara was uncomfortable with this woman but figured she might as well try to be friendly.

"I've only known him closely for a few weeks. But I've known him for almost two years now." Cara gave a tiny smile, not exactly friendly but attempting to be.

"He's a good guy. He always knows how to make a girl happy; I mean that in more ways than one." Crystal giggled and Cara blanched slightly. It didn't seem like Shannon to be that way, but she didn't know him that well. And if he was that way, where were his intentions with her? "That man is a god in bed and-"

"Hello, ladies," Shannon leaned on the back of Cara's chair. He was angry that Crystal would lie to Cara; well, talk about things that she had no knowledge of. "Enjoying it so far, Care Bear?" He tugged her hair. She gave him a soft smile; his heart seemed to melt at her angelic face. He bent and wrapped his arms around her small shoulders. "Not as bad as you thought, right?"

"No, not really," she gently touched his hand to assure him. But he felt something strange in her grip; she was pleading for a distraction, to be taken away from Crystal. He glanced up at Crystal. Her blue eyes were afire with rage and jealousy. Her blonde curls were pinned up to expose her neck. She was trying to seduce him. She'd tried before and he wasn't exactly interested in a gold-digging blonde with an IQ of five. He hated being cruel to her but she only wanted him because of his money and his fame. Cara, on the other hand, didn't look for relationships. He could tell she wasn't particularly interested in a boyfriend and she seemed content with how she was doing. She seemed to enjoy being with him for him alone.

"Oh boy, Shannon, you are so rude sometimes. I'm standing here and you don't even say hi." Crystal pouted. Shannon kept his arms around Cara and looked at the pathetically pouting blonde.

"Well, hello, Crystal. What ants are in your pants today?" he spat sarcastically. He knew she was trying to draw him away with her looks. Crystal stuck out her bottom lip.

"You are so mean," she whined. "Don't you ever say hi to me just to be friendly?" Shannon was an inch away from losing his temper, but he held Cara tighter and looked at the pathetically seductive blonde.

"The last time you and I were friendly, I ended up getting the crap kicked out of me by your boyfriend. How are you and he doing, by the way?" Shannon spat without sarcasm and Cara's small hand gently touched his arm.

"We broke up. He didn't like you and I being friends," Crystal lied. She was always a pathetic liar.

"And you coming on to me and trying to sleep with me when I was drunk had nothing to do with it, right?" Shannon was done being civil and polite. Matt didn't know about that event and it was the only reason that she was here; though, he didn't know why she didn't go after Jeff or Matt. He heard the smallest of gasps from Cara. She didn't know what the history between them was.

"Shannon, I was just as drunk as you were. It was a mistake on both of our parts. He didn't understand that I had a lot to drink too." Crystal tried to explain.

"You didn't even have any alcohol that night. I remembered that night in clear detail. You're just trying to excuse the fact that you tried to get me and you failed." Shannon gently pulled Cara from the chair and led her to the opposite side of the backyard. They sat on the concrete beside the pool, sitting in the sun. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to hear the history between me and her." Cara gently touched his shoulder.

"It was a mistake; don't worry about it too much." Cara flinched back when he looked at her sharply.

"I've gotten over it. I just don't want her targeting you because you're with me." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his still wet chest. She flinched slightly; she felt his breath on her neck, his wet hair dripping on her shoulder. His hands stroked the curve of her back, and he felt her slowly ease into his embrace.

"Shannon," she whispered. A shiver slid up her spine and his breath rolled over her neck. He breathed deeply, inhaling the soft scent of her perfume. He resisted the urge to kiss her neck, to feel her skin on his lips. She gently wrapped her arms around him, shivering again when his lips traced her neck. He pulled back and smiled at Cara. She shivered again as he stared at her.

Shannon was in awe of Cara. The sunlight reflected off the water into her eyes. Water drops from his hair slid down over her chest. His eyes watched a single drop curl down her shoulder, and slide between her breasts. He shook with restrained desire; she was gorgeous, her scent drove him crazy. He locked eyes with her and pushed her bangs behind her ear. Her shirt was damp from the water and he touched her shoulders.

"Cara," he breathed; his hands traced up to her neck and cradle her face. The world seemed to disappear as he leaned in.

"SHANNON!!" Matt yelled from the back door. Cara jumped and leaned back to look back at Matt. Shannon seethed internally as his best friend ruined his moment. "Cara, Shan, come on inside!"

"Remind me to kill him," Shannon thought. He dragged Cara up and pulled her to the door. Cara stepped inside and Matt punched Shannon on the arm.

"Cara and you looked awfully cozy out there," Matt joked.

"No thanks to Crystal, who still thinks I'm interested in her." Shannon figured this would be the best time to tell Matt about Crystal's exploits.

"What did Crystal do?" he asked, pulling his friend into the kitchen.

"She was trying to scare Cara away. And she tried to seduce me again." Shannon growled.

"Again? When was the first time?"

"Remember the night I got drunk and got into a fight? I got beat up by Crystal's boyfriend because she tried to seduce me." Shannon leaned against the counter.

"Alright, I'll throw her out and I'll make sure she is never invited back to another party." Matt patted his shoulder. Shannon smiled and hugged his friend. He headed back to the party and found Cara in the corner of the room.

"Hey, Care Bear," he smirked. Cara smiled softly. The clock chimed and they looked at the clock. "Well, the one hour is up. Do you want to leave?" he asked. She shook her head. "You're sure?" She nodded and hugged him.

"I'm sure." Shannon grinned and ruffled her hair.

"I'll be right back. I should put a shirt on," he headed up the stairs but heard small steps behind him. Cara was following him. "You don't have to follow me. I'll be back in a minute." He turned around and was surprised to feel Cara against his chest. She was hugging him and even with the water still on his chest, he could feel tears sliding from her eyes onto his chest. "Cara, what's wrong?"

"Thank you," she spoke softly. Her small arms were tight around him and Shannon kissed the top of her head.

"I've done nothing, sweetie," he rubbed her back. "What's got you scared?"

"I don't know, Shannon, but I'm afraid. I don't want to be alone." Her voice shook with an unsure fear. He leaned back and stared into her shimmering chocolate eyes.

"Come over here," he pulled her aside into a small guest bedroom. "Cara what are you trying to say? Tell me, what you are asking?" He held her by the shoulders and bent to look into her eyes.

"Shannon," she paused and broke the eye contact. He forced her chin up to look back at him. "I've been alone for so long. I've been scared for the longest time of shadows and ghosts. I don't want to be alone anymore." Shannon hugged her tightly.

"You don't have to be alone, Cara. I'll protect you. You don't have to be afraid of the past and ghosts." Shannon hugged her and kissed her cheek. "I promise that nothing can hurt you. I'll be there, whether you see me or not, I'm there and I'll protect you." A tiny sob escaped her throat before she hurriedly wiped away the tears.

"Thank you. It means more to me than you might ever know." She wrapped her arms around his neck and Shannon could do little more than comfort the poor woman in his arms.

"Are you sure you want to stay? You don't have to stay if you feel this upset." He made her look up at him. She nodded and pulled away. "Alright, there's a bathroom through there. Why don't you clean up and I'll find myself a shirt?" Cara nodded and hurried through the other door. Shannon sighed and ran his hands through his black and blonde hair. Something in his gut told him that something bad was going to happen and Cara was in danger of being hurt. He grabbed one of the shirts he left at Matt's house; he spent enough time in this house that he always had a few clothes at his house. He slipped the black shirt over his head and Cara walked out the bathroom, drying her face. He wrapped an arm around her and brought her downstairs. They hit the bottom of the stairs as an ear-piercing shriek echoed through the house.

"Matt! I can't believe you trust him over me! He was drunk; I wasn't. You trust a drunk's memory over my own sober memory." Crystal screamed. Cara flinched as the angry blonde turned on her and Shannon. "Enjoy him while you can, bitch, and he'll throw you out once he's done with you." Crystal slapped Cara before she stomped out the door. Shannon cradled Cara in his arms and glared as Matt closed the door behind Crystal. Cara held a hand to her stinging cheek and tears were springing to her eyes.

"Cara," Shannon sat her on the stairs and inspected her face. He pulled away her hand and ran his thumb over the red skin. "You'll be fine. It won't even bruise." A tiny tear slid down her face and he watched Cara's eyes glaze over with haunting memories. "Cara, Care Bear," he gently took her shoulders. The glazed look did not fade and he quickly carried her upstairs. Matt looked concerned for his friend but didn't follow.

Shannon kicked open the guest bedroom door, setting Cara on the bed and holding her tightly. Her small body shook with unvoiced sobs; her hands were clenched tightly in her lap. Her dark hair began to come loose from the pins and Shannon pulled the pins away, letting her small, tender curls fall about her face. The shaking eased but she didn't seem to move from her spot. He tenderly lifted her so she sat on his lap; he kissed her hair and gently rubbed her back.

"Cara, talk to me," he whispered into her ear. The shaking returned full force and Shannon squeezed her into a tight hug. Cara gasped and her hands clutched his shirt. The sobs finally erupted and she collapsed in his grasp. Shannon held her tighter and laid her back on the bed. His hands stroked her back and he whispered comforting things into her ear. "Care Bear, please talk to me."

"I don't want to be hurt. I didn't do anything. Please don't let him hurt me." She sobbed. Her voice was heart-breaking.

"Who? Tell me who hurt you," Shannon tried to learn about her. Her well-hidden past was crucial to his discovery of who she was. He needed to know what she was hiding, especially if whatever it was scared her so badly. The shaking eased again and she was calmer. Her hands loosened on his shirt. He rubbed her back softly and he pushed back the loose curls from her face. Tears had slipped down her face but she had clamped down her emotions. "Are you ok?" Her voice was shaky as she squeaked out a tiny 'yes'. Shannon doubted her but he would hold her until she told him otherwise. He continued rubbing her back and breathed deeply.

Cara laid her hands on his shoulders, taking a deep solace in his presence. She felt his calm and deep breaths fanning her cheek and soothing her frazzled nerves. After at least fifteen minutes, Shannon propped himself on his elbow and watched Cara rest in his arms. He brushed away another curl that had fallen into her eyes. She looked tiredly into his eyes; a frightened, but hopeful, expression lurked in her eyes. Shannon brushed her cheek, comforting her. He rested his forehead against hers and kept their eyes locked together. His lips were inches from hers again and he suppressed a shiver when the closeness was noticed. Cara didn't move to touch him or try to open up to him. It was fear of a different kind that she experienced very rarely. The fear of what he could do to her.

"Cara," he whispered. She shivered again. She wasn't scared of him; she was scared of what they might do together. He nuzzled her cheek, almost comfortingly. He whispered her name again and an intense shudder ran through her.

"Shannon! Cara!" Matt's voice rang through the door. Shannon climbed off the bed and opened the door a crack. "First of all, neither of you better be naked behind this door. Second, Crystal's gone but not without a lot of bitching. She's threatened to get her revenge or whatever." Matt tried to peek over his friend's shoulder.

"She's harmless and by the way, neither of us is naked." Shannon grumbled.

"Ok, well, you're both welcome to stay, not like you need an invite Shan." Matt tried peeking over his shoulder again. "Is she ok?"

"Something's happened to her where she's gotten hurt bad. I am trying to get her to open up to me." Shannon looked back at Cara. She was sitting up on the bed and her arms were wrapped around herself.

"Don't worry. You can make her open up. Give her a little love and she'll let you in." Matt patted his shoulder and walked back down the stairs. Shannon turned back to Cara and he sat beside her.

"Are you ok?" he asked, rubbing her back.

"Can we leave?" Her tiny voice begged.

"Of course," he smiled and hugged her. They walked down the stairs and stepped outside. "Give me a second; I'll tell Matt we're leaving." Cara nodded and walked down the path towards his car.

"Just go, Shan," Jeff leaned against the door frame and smiled. Shannon grinned and hurried after the somber Cara. He drove her back to his house. When they pulled up, he led her into the house. Cara was tired and weak from her episode today. The flashback on the stairwell had been horrifically vivid and the pain was made real with Crystal's slap.

"Cara," he rubbed her back. "There is a room upstairs, if you want it." She looked at him and the fear was completely evident in her face.

"Please?" she asked. He led her wordlessly up the stairs and opened a door. She gave him a small smile; he took her gently by the shoulders and kissed her forehead.

"I'm your friend, Cara. Please don't leave me in the dark. I want to help you." He whispered against her forehead. She almost crumpled against him.

"I wish you could help me." She whispered and turned away from him. Shannon ran his hands through his hair and walked downstairs. He stretched out on the sofa and sighed heavily.

He wanted to help Cara but it seemed impossible to help her when she ran from his attempts to help. She was sweet and she really needed help. He needed to know what was scaring her and he had to find out how to stop it. He wished he could have been able to kiss her today in the bedroom; she needed to feel loved and wanted. He closed his eyes and relaxed on the cushions.

!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!

"DON'T!! STOP!!! PLEASE!!!" Her screams brought him awake and he ran up the stairs. "I WON'T DO IT AGAIN!!! PLEASE, NO!!!" He almost broke down the door to find Cara in the midst of another nightmare. She was tossing and turning and tears streamed from her closed eyes. "I CAN'T DO IT!!! NOO!!" Her screams tore at his heart. "STOP, PLEASE!!!!!! I CAN'T DO IT!!! DON'T MAKE ME DO IT!!!! DADDY!!" she screamed loudly and Shannon stopped. Her father was doing this. She continued to scream and he grabbed her quickly.

"CARA!! STOP IT!! WAKE UP!!" He shook her heavily but her screams did not subside.

"I WON'T DO IT!!! PLEASE!! DON'T HURT ME!!" She cried as more tears slipped from her eyes. Shannon pulled her off the bed and cupped her face.

"CARA!!!!! BREAK FREE OF HIM!! LET GO!!" he yelled. She struggled to consciousness and she broke in his arms. Her sobs filled the room and he held her close. His heart was pounding from hearing those painful screams. He smoothed back her hair and cradled her tightly. "Sh, baby. Let it out. Don't bottle it up, cry it all out."

"Shan-non," She sobbed and he rubbed her arms and back. She tried to suppress the tears and the fear but he whispered into her ear.

"Don't shove it down. Cry, baby, let it go away." The tears sprang forth anew and she began to tremble violently. Her knees went weak and he caught her, lifting her up as she cried into his shoulder. He wasn't good with crying women, he didn't know how to make it better and it was especially hard that he knew very little about what was scaring Cara. He carried her to his own bedroom, taking her away from the room of her nightmare. She shook still as he laid her on the bed and pulled back. Tears streamed from her dark eyes and her lips trembled as sobs racked through her. Her hands grabbed for his, unwilling to be parted from him. Her small body continued to shake as he caressed her cheek, soothing her slightly.

"Please, don't leave me." She whimpered. He sat on the edge of the bed and stared into those terrified eyes.

"I won't." he vowed and stroked her moist cheek again. The tears continued to fall and she shook even more violently. He walked around the bed and crawled onto it beside her. She buried herself in his chest and the tears began anew. "Keep crying baby until there is nothing left." He whispered sweet things into her ear and held her tightly. The tears and shaking continued for about an hour before she finally slipped into an exhausted sleep. He watched her body relax and rest in his arms. He was scared for Cara; her father had done this to her and he could only guess how she had escaped it in the first place. Her nightmares were obviously violent and she was petrified by them. He made a note to call Josephine and figure out what had happened. He pulled her against him and rested his head against hers; he closed his eyes and fell asleep with Cara in his arms.

* * *

**Don't kill me. PLEASE!! I know, I'm a bad person. Hopefully this makes up for it. I have Frostbite completely finished so things will be much easier. With school almost out, I should be able to update more often. I'm shooting for another update by Monday.**


	7. The Story Comes Out

Shannon snuck into Josephine's office the moment he reached the arena. He saw the elderly woman sitting at the desk and Cara was nowhere to be seen.

"Shannon? What do you need, darling?" Josephine asked.

"Jo is Cara here?" he asked; she shook her head. "Tell me what the hell happened to Cara before she came to WWE. She had the nightmare from hell at my house last week and she damn near had a panic attack when I managed to get her out of it. What the hell did she go through?" he demanded. Josephine's face fell and she pointed to the couch.

"Sit down. This is something not easily explained." Josephine ran her hands through her graying blonde hair. "Cara has those nightmares because of what happened when she was a child. There all recurring flashbacks of all the abuses she endured.

"Her mother died when she was just a little thing. I mean barely out of the hospital and her mother died of a nasty disorder or something like that. Cara grew up with just her father; poor man was torn apart by his wife's death. He turned to drugs and alcohol to solve it. He ended up becoming a major drug dealer. He used Cara as his delivery system; he sent her with the drugs and collected the money. Have you noticed that Cara has a very innocent face? Like she can't do wrong? She was always that way."

"What did he do to her?" he asked, his knuckles white as he gripped his knees.

"Cara never wanted to do it; she tried to refuse at first but he beat all objections out of her. She used to get beaten whenever she refused or whenever the police caught her wandering around in the late hours of the night. Then it escalated to where she stopped refusing. Then the police got a bunch of complaints about screams from the house and about him wandering around high or drunk in the neighborhood. The police investigated him a lot. They knew he was one of the biggest dealers in the city; they just didn't have evidence. They would pull Cara out of school to interrogate her. She didn't say anything out of fear; he would beat her because he thought she had sold him out.

"When the police got enough for a search warrant, that's when the worst beating came. She ran away that night and confessed everything. Unfortunately, when he discovered she was gone, he skipped town. The police are working to find him but he hasn't turned up."

"How bad was it? I mean: how bad were her injuries?" he asked; his chest was constricted from hearing all of it.

"Bad bruises, broken ribs, a shattered ankle and a sprained wrist; the ugliest part of it was the scars. You may not know it but she wears covering clothes all the time because she has a lot of scars. I've seen some of them. She was such a poor thing when she came here. Scared little thing and she was terrified of everyone. She just barely started getting used to all the stage staff. I mean she jumps when you guys carry around bats or pipes. It was horrible when we did a pay-per-view. She saw Paul Levesque carrying that sledge hammer and I thought she was going to faint right there or have a seizure. It was Wrestlemania 21, and Lord she was terrified. Paul carried around that sledge and she was absolutely petrified. He was standing around and joking with Dave and Ric; she froze, petrified. It took the four of us fifteen minutes to figure out that the sledgehammer was scaring her senseless. She was a fingertip away from going into a seizure. If you could have seen her eyes, it would have scared you insane. I mean you could see the flashbacks in her face; it was terrifying to see someone that scared of something so simple." Shannon was shaking with absolute terror in his face. How could Cara survive that? "Dave and Ric worked crazily to snap her out of it but she didn't move. I can't describe how scary it was to watch her in that paralysis. They all had to give up for Dave and Paul's match but she didn't move for at least an hour after the show."

"How could he hurt her? How could he hurt someone so beautifully innocent to that point?" Shannon growled and slammed his fists into his knees.

"Shannon, don't mention this to Cara. I've worked with her everyday to try and help her. She is terrified and she wants to tell you but she's scared of it. You can't force her into this. Let her tell you when the moment's right."

"Is there more to it? How did the police get to interrogate her at her school?" Shannon asked. It was the one part of the story he didn't get. Josephine looked extremely uncomfortable at the question.

"Cara had attempted to commit suicide at least three times before she turned eighteen. The police stopped her all three times. She tried to jump off a bridge the last time. The other two times she tried to hang herself and poison herself with carbon monoxide." Josephine was near tears to describe how low Cara had fallen.

"God, how did she survive that hell?" Shannon ran his hands through his hair. He was terrified she would try again; he couldn't live with that on his mind. If Cara managed to kill herself, he would always blame himself for not stopping her.

"Shannon," Josephine shook. "Don't tell her you know. Just please; help her get over her fear. She needs to feel safe." He looked up at her.

"I swear I will do everything to help her."

"She is strong; she'll bury it to hide it. Protect her, Shannon, because she needs you. She needs to know what it's like to be loved. It can't come from me; I'm like her mother. She needs to know what it's like to be loved by a man. You're the first person she opened up to in months." Josephine wrung her hands together. "Please, don't give up on her."

"I'll do everything to make her know what it's like to be loved. I want her to be safe. I can't live without her, Jo." He stared at her like it didn't make sense to him. She stared back at him with wide eyes.

"You love her, don't you?" she asked in a whisper. Shannon flushed at the question; he was unsure yet if it was love.

"I don't know yet, Jo. I just know I want her in my life. She's something to live for; I come in here every week and I am practically skipping in here to see her. I want to know that I have someone who needs me." Shannon ran his hands through his black and blonde hair.

"You don't have to admit it now. But when the time is right, she'll need to hear that." Jo stood up and patted his shoulder. "Now, get on out of here before Cara shows up. And remember, keep that mouth of yours shut. She'll push you away if you know before she's ready for you to." Shannon smirked and hurried out.

Cara climbed out of her car and shivered. It was weird to go into the arena and feel eager to see someone. She wanted to see Shannon and apologize for freaking out. He was undoubtedly annoyed that he had to stay with her all night. She hurried to Josephine's office and dropped her purse on Josephine's desk.

"Is Shannon in yet?" she asked. Josephine stood up.

"Wait, Cara. I heard you had another nightmare and it sounded worse than any others."

"Josephine, please don't bring it up." Cara was scared again. She hated discussing her nightmares.

"Please, Cara. You need to discuss this with me. You can't bottle this up and hide it because you don't want to discuss it." Josephine demanded.

"It's not that I don't want to discuss it, it's that I need to apologize to Shannon. He was taking care of me while I was suffering and I didn't even do anything for it." Cara pleaded. Josephine nodded.

"Alright, but come back as soon as you're done." She sighed. Cara nodded and hurried out. She hurried to the men's locker room, but was timid to knock. Cara managed to build some gumption and knock on the door. Jamie Noble answered and she resisted a cringe.

"Get Shannon Moore out here now. He has an important meeting with the stage managers." She demanded. He sneered and called back into the locker room. Shannon stepped into the hall and was surprised to see Cara.

"Cara, are you ok?" he asked.

"Umm, Shannon, I wanted to apologize about last week at your house. You shouldn't have had to deal with my problems," she almost continued but Shannon placed his finger over her lips.

"Cara, you needed help. Don't worry; if you need help, I will be there. Besides, with the way you were screaming, I was scared for you." Shannon pushed back her loose hair.

"God, this can't keep happening," she cried. Her eyes were tearing up. "Please, I'm sorry; I should leave."

"No, Cara. You're in need of help. If you have nightmares, I want to be there to bring you out of them. You shouldn't suffer through those. It sounded horrible last week like you were being beaten senseless." Shannon wrapped his arms around her, just like when she had fallen asleep in his bed.

"I won't burden you with my problems. I can't live with you taking care of me like this." She tried to push away from him.

"Stop it, Cara. You need somebody to help you. Just let me help you. I want to help you; now that I know you have these nightmares, I want to help you be free. I can't live and know that you are suffering." He hugged her tightly.

"Shannon, no; you can't help me." She clutched his arms. "I'm beyond help."

"Cara!" he shook her shoulders. "You may think I can't help you but I will sure as hell try. And nobody is beyond help." He hugged her tightly to his chest. Cara relaxed in his arms, resting against his chest.

"I know I can't be helped. But, please, don't give up on me," she whispered. He rubbed her back and kissed her hair.

"I promise I won't give up on you. I guarantee that I will try everything to help you through this." He whispered into her ear. She shivered, not from fear, but from the pure sincerity in his voice that warmed her heart.

"Thank you." She replied softly. His hands ran through her hair and rubbed her back soothingly. She shivered again, with anxiety in her body. She felt him stroke her waist lightly. "Shannon," she whispered.

"Shannon! We got a match up next. Move it." Jimmy Wang Yang ran past them in the hall. Cara pulled back and gave him a tiny smile.

"You should go. I'll see you later." She waved goodbye to them and walked back to the stage offices. Shannon watched her walk away with a smile on his face.

"You like her, don't you?" Jimmy teased.

"Aw, shut up. Cara is sweet. She just needs help sometimes." He pushed his friend and they walked to the gorilla position.

Cara reentered the stage office and sat across from her boss. Josephine leaned forward across the desk, taking Cara's small hand.

"Tell me what you saw," she ordered. Cara took a deep breath.

"It was my father, when I was really young. I had messed up something and he kept hitting me over and over. I begged for him to stop. He wanted me to do something else and I didn't want to do it. I was terrified. I think it was the time he broke my arm. I was so scared." Cara replayed the events of her dream.

"No more, Cara. Thank you for telling me. But I'm concerned with these nightmares." Josephine patted her hand. "It was more than a year and then you had one. Two weeks later, you had another. This is scaring me; I hate to suggest this but I'm afraid that Shannon is bringing them up."

"No, Josephine. He's not; I swear he's not. He's done nothing but be a gentleman to me and I've never felt safer with him."

"That's what I mean, Cara. You feel safe, something that you haven't felt before. I'm starting to think that the safety Shannon makes you feel is causing your memories to arise more in your sleep. I think it might be because before you could think about it while you were awake and it tormented you less in your dreams. But, when you feel safe, those memories arise more when you're asleep."

"It can't be him." Cara defended him.

"I know it's hard to believe but please think about what in the past few weeks may have triggered your nightmares." Cara stood up and hugged herself.

"I have. I'm scared, Josephine." She admitted. "I just think that these new nightmares are a sign that it's going to get so much worse for me."

"Just be careful and be safe." She replied. Cara nodded and sat on the corner of the desk.

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**Yay! I kept my promise!! There's a shiny review button with your name on it!**

**EW;)**


	8. Still Need a Hug

Shannon climbed out of the ring and walked up the ramp with Jimmy. John and Mike won again, just like they were supposed to. But it still sucked to have to lose. He stepped behind the curtain, said goodbye to Jimmy and walked to the stage office. He opened the door and found Cara sitting with Josephine.

"Hello ladies." He smiled. Cara gave him a tiny smile and Josephine grinned. "You don't mind me stealing her for a moment, do you Jo?" he asked and wrapped his arm around Cara's tiny waist.

"Take her." Josephine turned back to her work. Shannon pulled her out into the hall and wrapped his arms entirely around her.

"You still need a hug." He smirked. She relaxed in his arms and rested her head on his chest.

"Thank you." She was depressed about something. He kissed her hair and rubbed her back.

"Josephine asked you about the nightmare, huh?" she nodded. "It's ok. When you find yourself in darkness, I'll always be there to pull you right back to the light." He spoke soothingly in her ear. She smiled and hugged him tightly.

"Promise?" she asked.

"I promise. But that doesn't mean you get to mope around the hotels all the time. Come with me and the guys to a club tonight. I'll make you the same deal I made you for Matt's party: stay there for one dance with me and two drinks." Shannon took her small chin in his hand.

"I don't know Shannon." She was unsure if she could handle being in a crowded place with him.

"Just one quick dance, two drinks and that's it. I swear. It will be fun." She stammered for a response.

"I—umm—I" she stammered. He thought her stammering was adorable.

"Just say yes. I promise no more than an hour." He smiled. She nodded, defeated. "I promise it will be fine. You'll be right next to me the entire time, perfectly safe."

"Ok," she hugged him and laid her head on his chest. "God, you make me feel so safe."

"I've been thinking, how every time you stay with me, you have a nightmare? Well I thought maybe it's when you know I'm not there to make you feel safe that you have nightmares." Shannon voiced his thoughts. It made sense to Cara; when he was around, she didn't have time to think about what had happened, just about what he was doing. And when he wasn't there, she began to think it was the insecurity setting in again.

"I don't know. I'll think about that."

"Don't worry. Hey, the second hour starts in a little bit; ask Jo if she'll let you leave with me early so you can get ready." He suggested. She was unsure but nodded.

"Why don't you get a shower and grab your stuff? I'll meet you back here." She turned away, her hand lingering on his chest.

"Ok and no chickening out on me." He yelled. Cara shook her head and stepped inside.

"How did it go? He forgave you right?" Josephine asked.

"He wouldn't let me apologize for it. He is determined to help me. And he told me his theory on why my nightmares are coming back. I feel safe with him and when I know he's not there, the insecurity sets in and I get scared." Cara shrugged.

"What does he want you to ask me?" Josephine could tell she wanted to ask something.

"Shannonwantsmetoleaveearlywithhimtogotoaclub," Cara blurted in a single word. Josephine smiled and shook her head.

"I'll let you leave in fifteen minutes. Just do two things for me; first deliver this to Vickie Guerrero in the General Manager's office." Josephine held out a package. Cara took it and hurried to the GM's office. Shannon was stepping out of the men's locker room as she ran past.

"Cara, I said no chickening out!" he yelled. She walked backwards to reply to him.

"I'm not. I have to deliver something and I can leave in fifteen minutes." She turned and continued down the hall. She knocked urgently and handed the thick package to the woman. "From Josephine in the stage office."

"Thank you." Vickie smiled. Cara nodded and walked out, hurrying back to the stage office. As she rounded a corner, muscular arms encompassed her waist and she screamed. Terror filled her heart; she kicked and clawed at the arms that lifted her off the ground.

"Cara!" Shannon's voice filtered into her ear. She breathed heavily as he set her back down. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." He backed away from her.

"No, you just scared me. I was surprised; just don't do it again, ok?" she asked, gently cupping his strong face in her hands. He smiled and hugged her tightly.

"I'm sorry; that was stupid. I should know better than to scare you like that." He berated himself. Cara held onto his shoulders.

"I would normally agree but I'll make an exception for you." She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight hug. He laughed at her spunk.

"You are hilarious." He smirked and continued to hug her.

"CARA!!" Josephine called from down the hall. Cara jumped almost guiltily away from Shannon. "Cara, I have three more deliveries for you and then you're free to leave." Josephine handed her three heavy, thick envelopes. "They have the proper names on them, just hand them to the right people." Cara stumbled a little under the heavy weights.

"Ok, I'll be back in a few minutes for my bag." Cara read the names on the envelopes and started down the hall. Shannon followed her and wrapped his arm around her small shoulders. "You don't have to follow me. I'm just making standard deliveries." She knocked on the door labeled 'The Undertaker'. Mark Calloway was a bit gruff and often not in a good mood but he didn't hurt the stage assistants. He opened the door and took the thick envelope from her hands. He closed the door but not before giving Shannon a suspicious look.

"Does he not like me or something?" he asked. Cara shook her head.

"Josephine was out of the office one night and I was taking a nap. I started having a nightmare and he woke me up. He hasn't said anything about it but I noticed he keeps me under a careful eye." Cara explained, shrugging sheepishly. They kept walking down the hall to the locker room labeled 'Batista'. She knocked loudly.

"Hello, angel," Dave greeted. He took the thick envelope with a smile. "Smile more, angel, and it doesn't hurt so bad." He suggested, ruffling her hair. Cara smiled and pulled Shannon behind her as they walked down the hall. She caught him looking weirdly at her.

"It's a long story. It happened at Wrestlemania 21; essentially, I was freezing up." Shannon rubbed her back soothingly and smiled.

"It's ok. It's really good to know that I'm not the only one looking out after you." He hugged her. Cara smiled and walked to the General Manager's office, with Shannon right behind her. She stepped inside and handed the last package to Adam Copeland. 'Edge' didn't even smile as he took them. He glared at Shannon, who glared right back.

"Shannon, outside," Cara whispered and pushed him out of the office. "What is it between you two?" she asked.

"He and I don't get along. He just absolutely infuriates me. Plus, I hate his storyline with Vickie. It's sick and they take it way too far." Cara sighed and gently took his hand. Shannon took her hand and rubbed the back of it with his thumb. "You're an angel." He whispered. Cara shook her head.

"No, just stupid," She sighed heavily.

"Stop talking like that. You aren't stupid. Give yourself some credit." He admonished her gently.

"What do I have to take credit for?" she asked. Shannon looked at her like he doubted how serious she was.

"You're sweet, and kind. You have a great sense of humor and you have an amazing smile. You're smart and," she looked down in complete rejection of what he suggested. "You're beautiful." She gasped in surprise of what he said. "You are. Don't deny it because you think so."

"Shannon, don't tell lies to make me feel better. I know I'm not perfect and I don't want to hear lies." Cara sighed heavily.

"Cara, from now on everything you think about yourself is wrong. Everything I said is true and you refuse to realize that it is." Shannon shook her shoulders.

"It's not true, Shannon. Don't lie to me because you think it makes me feel better." She cried.

"I'm not lying. Why would I lie to you? What would I get from it? To make myself feel better that I know you believe anything I say? I want you to trust me and I will do that with honesty." Shannon yelled. He didn't want to yell at her like this but she had to know.

"Just stop it! Stop yelling at me! I know I can't do it right! I'm sorry!" she screamed and he knew she wasn't yelling at him. Her memories were coming back. He gathered her in his arms and held her until the fit had passed.

"Sh, angel," he whispered into her ear. "Sh, I'm sorry, Cara. I'm sorry. Sh, it's going to be alright." He petted her hair and held her as the sobs began to subside. She began to calm down and returned his embrace. "It's my fault, Cara. I should know better than to do that. I'm sorry." He continued to whisper.

"Shannon!" she cried. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

"Cara, don't. I should not have yelled at you. It's entirely my fault." He kept whispering to her. Her dark hair fell over her face and a tiny hiccup passed her lips.

"I shouldn't have yelled at you. I was so stupid." She choked back a sob.

"No," he stopped her. "From now on, you cannot call yourself stupid. I know something has happened to you Cara. I don't want this thing to rule your life; I don't want you to be seventy-five years old and still scared of this thing." Shannon rubbed her back and tried to calm her.

"Shannon," she whimpered.

"I know that you'll be difficult. I know you want to move on and I'll help you. Just let me try; I won't give up on you. I promise that I'll do everything to help you." He vowed.

"Thank you," she replied.

"That wasn't so hard, was it, Care Bear?" he laughed. She smiled and hugged him tighter. She looked up at him with hopeful eyes and pressed a tender kiss to his cheek. "Let me tell you something, from now on, don't tell yourself you're stupid or any of that nonsense. It makes the journey so much easier if you just believe in what you know is true. You are smart and you have the strength to get over this." She smiled and they began to walk back towards Josephine's office. "Get your stuff and let's get out of here." He smirked and leaned against the wall outside the office.

Cara stepped inside and grabbed her bag but Josephine made her stop.

"We'll be talking later. I want to know a few things." Josephine warned before shooing her out. Cara was surprised to have Shannon wrap his arm low around her waist. He smirked and helped her walk to the garage. When they reached the hotel, he put his hands on her shoulders.

"Humor me and dress up a little?" he asked. She nodded and took the elevator to her floor. She tossed the contents of her suitcase around the room as she tried to find the dress she had packed just in case. It was a deep red dress, falling to her knees and wrapping around her neck in a halter top. She found the matching shoes and her small amount of jewelry and makeup. She changed and pinned up her hair; she would try not to cry or get upset tonight. Cara sighed as she looked in the mirror. The dress was beautiful but her figure did not fully complement the dress. Shannon's words echoed in her head: _Everything you think about yourself is wrong. You're beautiful._ Cara smiled and ignored the depressing thoughts that told her she was imperfect. Optimism was the key to getting over it. She grabbed her purse and, checking for her key and phone, she left. Cara took the elevator to the lobby and looked around for Shannon. He stood next to a grouping of chairs and talked with Matt Hardy. He wore a smoky gray button-down shirt and black slacks. His black and blonde hair was pushed back from his face but was loose on his shoulders. Cara walked carefully to him, nervous suddenly. She tapped him lightly on the shoulder; as he turned, a huge grin broke across his face.

Shannon was blown away from the moment Cara tapped his shoulder. He didn't expect Cara to wear a dress, much less a gorgeous dress that accented her smooth curved body. Her hair was pulled back but loose curls still fell over her shoulders. Cara smiled and he placed his arm around her shoulders.

"You look gorgeous, Care Bear." He rubbed her arm and tucked her under his. "Ready, Matt?" he asked his friend. He nodded and they walked together to Matt's car. Cara sat in the back while Matt drove. They arrived at the club and Shannon kept his arm around her waist, preventing her from running. Cara was worried as Matt got them into the club; she did not expect the bouncers to allow her inside, even with Shannon and Matt. "Cara, what are you thinking about?" She was brought back to reality as Shannon teasingly poked her shoulder. She shook her head.

"Sorry," she shrugged. "I'm distracted." Shannon took her hand in his and led her to the VIP lounge. They sat on the couch and Shannon always kept his hand on her somehow to keep her calm. They all were drinking light; mainly, Shannon did not want to risk being drunk around Cara. She sipped her drink slowly and looked around the club occasionally. He watched her look around nervously; he was cautious of Cara and he just wanted her to be calm while they were here. She was nervous understandably but he wanted her to feel safe in public.

Cara was nervous as she looked around. For once, she wasn't scared of her father; she was scared of the men around her and staring at her. Shannon's presence at her side was not useful in deterring the looks some men gave her. He felt her anxiety and wrapped his arm around her.

"Are you ok? You're starting to shake." He whispered. She subtly pointed to the men giving her odd looks and curled into his side. He glared over her head at the men and they turned their eyes from little Cara. He leaned back and she curled against him. "Don't worry. Nobody is touching you except me." He smiled and wrapped his arm around her waist; she settled deeper into his side. He waited a few more minutes before pulling Cara up beside him and taking her to the dance floor. "You promised so no running." He smirked and tugged on her hand.

Cara shook her head. Dancing was not her strong point and she hadn't danced anything since she stopped ballet years ago. Her arms were wrapped around her and she shook her head slightly.

"Care Bear, you said you would. Come on," he pulled her against his chest. "Just relax; let the music go through you and let it move you." He smiled and stroked her cheek. Cara let his words take effect and nodded.

Shannon was surprised by the sensual movements of her body as she began to dance. His hands wrapped around her waist and turned her so her back was against his chest. His hands ran over her sensual curves and held her to him. He kissed her shoulder softly and let her arms circle his neck. Her small body moved in time with the music and he held those soft curves and flat planes of her body to him. She was beautiful; he couldn't stop touching her and wanting to touch more. The song ended and Shannon kept his arms around her waist. He pulled her away from the floor and to a less crowded part of the club. A faint blush crept up her neck and into her face; they stood in a quiet corner and he let her lean against the wall. He propped his arm on the wall above her head and softly rubbed her arm.

"Thank you, Cara. That meant a lot to me." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. The blush deepened and he smiled. He rubbed her cheek and stepped closer, running his thumb over her soft pink lips. She shivered at his soft touch; her hands unwittingly touched his chest, stepping closer to him. "Cara," he whispered, one hand tracing the curve of her spine. One small hand ran down his chest.

"Hey buddy, do you mind not hogging the babe?" a drunken man stumbled towards them. His hand reached for Cara's arm but Shannon pushed her behind him and pushed the man back.

"Don't touch her. Get lost buddy." Shannon snapped. He threw a punch at Shannon who avoided it and sent a single punch to the man's gut. He doubled over and walked away; Shannon turned and placed a hand on Cara's shoulder. "Are you ok?" he asked. She nodded, slightly shaken but otherwise ok. He rubbed her arm and they returned to the VIP lounge. They lounged on the sofa and he kept his arm around her shoulder. He entertained her by tugging on the ends of her dark curls, watching her chocolate eyes glitter with amusement. They ordered the second set of drinks and Cara took her time with her drink. Shannon rubbed her back and her head rested on his shoulder.

Cara started feeling sleepy after she finished her second drink. When she checked her phone, it was almost midnight. She wanted to go back to the hotel and sleep but they needed to take Matt with them. She yawned and Shannon rubbed her back.

"Sleepy?" he asked. She nodded and nestled into his shoulder. "I'll take you to the hotel and come back for Matt. He'll understand." He stood up and told Cara to stay put. "Hang tight for a minute; I'll tell Matt I'm taking you back and to have him call me when he wants to leave." Cara nodded and sat on the sofa, watching Shannon disappear into the sea of people.

"Hey Shannon; Saw you and Cara getting nice and cozy on the dance floor. Good going man!" Matt cheered. He was pretty buzzed and Shannon felt bad to have to leave.

"Yeah, she's something. Listen, she's dead tired so I'm going to take her to the hotel and you can call me when you want to leave." He patted his friend's shoulder. Matt nodded and smirked.

"Be a good boy, Shannon. I better not visit your hotel room to find a bunch of clothes on the floor." Matt teased. Shannon glared at him but walked away. He found Cara still on the sofa, a little unnerved but calm. He pulled her up and they walked out. They drove in silence and Cara was fighting sleep as they parked in the hotel parking lot. He helped her into the elevators and let her rest against him. They reached their floor and he helped her to her room. She opened the door and Shannon made sure she was ready for bed.

"I'll see you later? I might drop by tomorrow for lunch or something." He touched her cheek and she smiled.

"I'd like that." She replied and watched him leave. She felt sad that he had left but Shannon had taken up new habits since her nightmare at his house. He would always tell her his room number and invite her to come over when she was scared. She changed out of the dress and curled up in the big bed. Hopefully, she would not be plagued by nightmares and ghosts tonight.

* * *

**Ok, I'm sorry. Life's been rough lately and I work Mon-Fri so its tiring. Anyway, can't think of something funny and witty so enjoy this installment. Up next is one of hte longest flashback scenes I've ever written coupled with some more Shannon/ Cara fluffiness.**

**EW;)**


	9. Dreams

_Cara danced to the classical music; her feet poised and pointed as she danced in her ballet recital. The other girls smiled as they saw their parents and family enjoy their performance. Cara's smile was small and weak; he wasn't there to watch her. He had promised to come see her and that meant he was not going to pick her up. Cara hated when he didn't remember her ballet lessons or her recitals. She would have to walk the three miles to her home alone in the dark again. She didn't want to go home as it was likely he had been drinking or taking his drugs; however, she didn't have a choice and he would leave her alone as long as he wasn't annoyed with something she did. She finished the dance with the same grace and poise as the other girls. They all bowed and headed to the dressing rooms to change._

_Cara changed quickly and hurried outside. The longer she waited, the more likely people noticed that she didn't leave with family._

"_Cara, you forgot your shoes!" the kindly Marianne called. Marianne was the instructor and often picked up after the girls. "Where's your father? I didn't see him in the audience."_

"_Oh, he was busy tonight with work and he couldn't come but he was going to pick me up outside. He's probably waiting and I should go." Cara was lying through her teeth and hated it but she need to leave fast. Marianne nodded and watched Cara hurry out the doors with her bag and the shoes dangling from her hand._

_Cara slowed down outside the doors looked around for a moment for Marianne's benefit before hurrying towards home. She had to make it look like she just had to find him. She hurried down the street and towards her home; of course, she glanced back occasionally to make sure nobody from the studio saw her. Cara was glad for the many people on the street to hide her from the passing cars. The miles would go fast as long as she hummed a little tune in her head and kept walking. Her chosen tune for tonight was 'Masquerade' from the _Phantom of the Opera_._

_Cara felt the song suited her. Her life was a masquerade; she buried all the abuse with lies and made everyone believe she was perfectly happy with a busy dad. Cara reached the corner to her neighborhood and turned down the street. It was nice to walk down the neighborhood where nobody knew what she did. They mostly thought she took walks around the neighborhood or to the local park. They didn't suspect her of being neglected._

_Cara reached her driveway and hurried up as she saw the car in the driveway. Her father was home and she needed to start a little dinner for herself before getting to bed. He was likely in a good mood as long as she didn't take long getting to bed. Cara stepped inside and closed the door quietly behind her._

"_Cara," he called from the spare bedroom, which he had converted to a study. She stepped into the doorway and stood still. "Make sure you're in bed in an hour. The social worker is coming to meet with me."_

"_Yes, sir, I'll be in bed with in an hour." She replied and walked to the kitchen. She made a small sandwich and a glass of milk. She was tired and she never ate much. Cara ate and drank the milk before rinsing her glass and plate; she walked to the bathroom and washed her face and hands. She changed her clothes in her bedroom and crawled into bed, turning out her lamp. He was in a good mood; that meant no beatings as long as it looked good. She yawned and let sleep take her._

_The social worker stepped inside the home and looked around the small home. Rob Frost was a good father as far as she was concerned but Cara's small personality quirks were cause for concern._

"_How is Cara? Is she doing well in school?" she asked, pulling out her clipboard._

"_She's doing great. Her grades are ok. Needing improvement but I'm trying to work with her. She had a ballet recital tonight so I had her go to bed early." Rob replied._

"_Really? How is her dancing going?" she asked, unsure if that was the true case._

"_She's doing well. I still think she's affected by her mother's death. I know it was early in her life but I think she needs a little motherly love. I've been trying to date a little and see if anyone takes a liking to Cara." Rob sighed and sat in his chair. The social worker sat opposite him._

"_Does she ever cry in her sleep? Or have nightmares that cause her to scream in her sleep?" she asked._

"_No. Not that I'm aware of. She hasn't cried since she was very little." Rob leaned back in the chair and looked to Cara's dark doorway._

"_Does she sleep with a nightlight or ask you to leave a hall light on?"_

"_No."_

"_Well, she isn't suffering from the typical childhood grief symptoms. Either Cara is bottling it up or she really doesn't remember it. I would recommend that you watch her carefully and note if she cries for no reason or starts rebelling against you. And I mean rebelling as in she won't do common things like eat her dinner that she always has done." She scribbled a few notes. "Other than that, unless Cara was awake, my work is done for now. I know this is hard work to care for a young girl alone, Mr. Frost. Cara is appearing well but she may just need a month of careful observation to make sure she isn't bottling up the grief she is feeling."_

"_Thank you. Cara is a good girl. I wouldn't trade her for anything." Rob smiled at the dark doorway. The social worker stood, shook hands with Rob and left. Rob's smile faded and he walked to her dark doorway. Cara was curled up in the bed and her breathing was even. He walked away and went to his bedroom. He closed the door and opened the drawer of his nightstand; he pulled out the leather strap and the needle._

_Cara awoke to the pounding knock on the front door and the sound of snoring from her father's bedroom. She climbed out of bed and grabbed her hairbrush as she walked to the door. She finished brushing her hair and opened the door. The tall blonde woman pushed her way into the house and walked back to her father's bedroom. Cara closed the door and walked back to her bedroom, pulling out the thick book from the bookshelf. She was reading at a higher level than many children twice her age could read. At eight years old, Cara was reading novels like _The Lord of the Rings, The Belgariad, _and _The Dragons of Pern_ series. She was close to finishing _The Return of the King_, almost twenty pages before she completed the epic series. The screams and moans coming from her father's room were ignored and she grabbed another book and walked to the backyard._

_Cara sat on the large lawn chair and read the rest of the morning. When the blonde woman's car was heard leaving, she stood up and walked back inside. He walked down the hall with pants slipping down his hips. Cara didn't smile but hurried to her room and got dressed._

"_Cara!" he yelled. She finished dressing hurried to him and stopped still. "Bring up your grades. Get a list from your teacher on Monday for what you can do to improve your grades. I want all A's in a month._

"_Yes, sir," Cara started her usual Saturday chores. He had gone into a drug fit last night and the house was messy. She cleaned the house before four o'clock and continued reading._

"_Cara, I'm leaving. Lock the door and nobody comes in." her father yelled from the front door. He didn't wait for a reply before slamming the door shut. Cara ran to lock the door and sat on the sofa. She pulled out her backpack, finished her homework and watched a little TV. When he came home, he was in a drug fit and she darted around to avoid him. "Did you finish your homework?" he asked. She nodded. He grunted approval and stalked back to his room. Cara walked to her room and closed the door, pulling out the tiny diary she kept under her bed. It was the one thing she had that was completely private to her. She wrote page after page of her fears and dreams. "CARA!" he yelled. She shoved it roughly under her bed and ran to him. He was in another drug fit. "Take this to Mitchell in the park. Don't get caught." He threw the little bag of white powder at her and shoved her out the door roughly. She walked to the park with the bag in her pocket, looking for the shifty man she knew as Mitchell. She found him under the huge oak trees and offered him the bag. He took it and shoved the money into her hand. Cara shoved it into her pocket and hurried home. She handed her father the money. He counted it and scowled. "Get out." He slapped her face and Cara ran away. He was in a mood that made him testy for no reason. The sting was no less harsh and she started crying as she sat on her bed._

* * *

Cara awoke with tears streaming down her face. She whimpered; she despised the dreams that reminded her of the acts she had to do for her father. Cara wiped her face clean and looked at the clock. She had only slept for half an hour.

Cara had always hated delivering her father's drugs and then getting smacked around for no reason. It was one thing if she messed up but he smacked her for no reason at all. It was difficult to hide those bruises and lie about what happened if they did notice. Cara was tired but the dream had effectively ruined any chance she had of getting more sleep tonight. She climbed out of bed and started cleaning her room. But as she cleaned, tears leaked from her eyes and the depression that had threatened her so many years ago to the point of losing her life settled in once more. She stopped cleaning and knew what she had to do. She grabbed her key and her phone and walked down the hall to Shannon's room. She hated to do this but she needed his sweet words in her ears and his warm hands on her body. Her hand knocked lightly on the door, hopeful that he was still there.

Shannon groaned at the light knock on his door. It had to be some hotel idiot with a message. The clock was blinking 12:57 am. Almost one in the morning and it couldn't wait six hours? He climbed out of bed and opened the door. He was surprised to see Cara on the other side.

"Cara?" he asked. She smiled weakly. He pulled her into his room and wrapped his arms around her. "_Why is it when I see her I just want to keep her in my arms and never let her go?_" Shannon thought. He rubbed her back and felt the tears slipping down her face. "What's wrong, Cara?" he asked, pulling back to look at her red face. He read it all in her misty chocolate eyes and trembling lips. She was scared of something, a dream no doubt. Her small hands wrapped around him and he felt a shiver pass through him as her small hands lay on his bare back. She needed his comfort; the demons that tormented her wouldn't be voiced but she was almost ready to. He placed a small kiss to her forehead and rubbed her back. He brought her back to his bed and sat her on the edge. He still rubbed her back and kept her under his arm.

"I'm sorry, Shannon. I just need you, to tell me it will be okay." She whimpered and the tears began anew. He leaned back on the bed and laid Cara across his chest.

"It is okay, Cara. You won't get hurt, I promise." He whispered in her ear and threaded his hand through her loose curls. He was shocked; Cara admitted she needed him. Shannon wrapped his arms around her and kept her against his chest. He rubbed her back and kissed her temple. She took a deep breath and began to calm down.

"I'm sorry, Shannon. I shouldn't have bugged you so late. I'll leave." She went to stand up but he kept his arms around her waist. She stood between his legs, his arms around her waist and her hands on his bare shoulders.

"Don't worry. Any hour, any time; you need me, you come and find me." He smiled and rubbed her back. She looked adorable: messy brown hair, a tank top and flannel pants. "Come on, you're staying here tonight." He lifted her easily and laid her on his bed, lying beside her with her back against his chest.

"Shannon, I shouldn't," she objected. He stopped her, kissing her shoulder.

"Enough. You need some comfort. So you are going to stay here. You aren't going anywhere and nobody is going to hurt you." He whispered and felt shivers go through her. A small smile crossed her face and she fell into a light sleep. Shannon smirked and curled against her small body. They fell asleep in a content embrace.

* * *

**Ok, warned about huge flashback. But now you guys know a little more. Doing this when I really shouldn't. Will update whenever possible. Don't have witty observation. Look out there's a flying monkey going to eat you! **

**EW;)**


	10. A Little Break

Cara sat on the balcony of her hotel room, reading the book in her lap. She had never stopped reading. The wind blew her hair in her eyes and she flicked it away. She turned the page and stretched her legs in the warm sunlight. The day was going to beautiful and she thought about taking a walk to a park or perhaps to the beach as it was close. They would be in town for the next week and she thought about having some fun. It was still early so she decided to go out and walk around the city. She dropped the book on the bed and found her sandals. She left her phone behind, intent to take this day for herself. She left the hotel and walked down the street calmly.

"Things are going to be different," she told herself. She would allow herself to walk alone on the street without fear or apprehension. There was a zoo nearby and she paid the admission fee. She enjoyed watching the animals play about without a care for the humans who were watching them. She walked around the many exhibits and smiled when she came to the seals. They were graceful and lithe creatures that moved smoothly in the water: her favorite animals. There was a stairway to see the seals below the water and she walked to the smooth glass. They were playing in the water, chasing each other and passing a ball on top of the water. One saw her and swam close to the glass, pressing its nose against the clear solid. She laughed and placed her hand on the glass; she traced an absent pattern across the surface and the seal followed her hand, making her laugh more. She loved these creatures: so care-free and friendly. Her new-found friend swam away and she watched him play with his friends. She walked back up to the top of the water and watched them play for a while. Eventually she walked away and later left for the hotel. She was happy; if only the weather could reflect her current mood. The clouds were gathering and a storm was approaching. Only a few hours ago, it had been sunny and bright. The clouds were a dark gray and she sighed. Things changed all the time, just like her. When she was a few blocks from the hotel, the storm released its fury and rain began to fall along with a fierce wind. Cara walked faster.

Shannon was bored and wanted to go somewhere but rain had started pouring outside. It was coming down in buckets and he was instantly depressed. Matt and he were lying around, watching TV and completely bored.

"Shannon!" Matt yelled. "Stop drifting into la-la land with Cara!" Shannon blushed. He hadn't been thinking about Cara at all but he still blushed. "I don't want to know what you think about when you drift off like that." Shannon stood up and looked out the balcony doors.

"I'm not thinking about Cara. I'm bored. What else am I supposed to do now that it's pouring rain?" Shannon replied. He thought about bugging Cara but he had decided he would leave her alone for the day. She was sweet but he didn't want to become oppressive. He now started to wonder what Cara was doing to pass the time.

Cara managed to get inside the hotel before she was soaked. She instantly regretted wearing a white shirt out and hurried to her room, using the stairs. She managed to reach her room and shut the door without any incident. She changed and dried her soaked hair. While she vigorously dried her hair, she watched TV; however, she wondered vaguely what Shannon was doing. She sighed and sat on the bed, propping her feet on the headboard. She watched TV upside-down, completely bored. Her phone buzzed on the nightstand and as much as she dreaded it, she grabbed it. The caller ID read 'Josephine' and quickly flipped it open.

"Hi, Josephine," she answered.

"CARA! I've been trying to get a hold of you for hours! Where have you been?" she demanded.

"I took a walk. I forgot my phone. I'm sorry." Cara apologized.

"Well, from now on, have your phone on you. You know why and I want to be able to talk to you. Just remember that you have to be careful. Well, I need you to run something to Matt Hardy but he isn't answering his room phone or his cell phone. I'm working on a huge load of stuff before I go on vacation and he needs this immediately. Call Shannon and see if he knows where Matt is," Josephine replied. "I'm in room 515. Come get it and see what you can do to find him."

"Ok, let me call Shannon first and I'll come get it once I know. Bye." She hung up and dialed Shannon's number. Shannon had taken her phone after her nightmare in his hotel room and stored his number in her contacts. "Come on; pick up. God, I'm bored." Cara mumbled, not noticing he had answered.

"Cara?" he asked. Cara jumped.

"Oh, sorry; Josephine is trying to find Matt and he's not answering his phones. So she wants me to track him down." Cara explained quickly.

"He's with me. You know where to find me. Come on over; obviously you're so bored you can't pay attention to your phone." He teased. Cara blushed though he couldn't see her.

"Ok," she mumbled. She flipped her phone shut, grabbed her key and walked to Josephine's room. Josephine handed her the papers and smiled at Cara.

"Something's made you happier. I guess you needed that walk." Cara smiled and hurried towards Shannon's room. She knocked on the door and leaned on the frame, still bored.

Shannon hung up and looked at Matt.

"Jo's been looking for you." Matt gulped. Anyone knew that the moment Jo was looking for someone; it was either very good or very bad. There was a knock on the door and Shannon jumped up and opened it. Cara was leaning on the frame; the boredom was completely pure and genuine. He leaned close as she wasn't paying attention and stared at her. Almost sixty seconds passed before Cara finally noticed him. She jumped, blushing and laughing. He pulled her into a hug, leading her inside.

"Josephine has these for you." Cara offered the papers to Matt and she grinned as Shannon hugged her. He carefully picked up a curl of her hair.

"Did you shower recently?" he asked. Cara blushed.

"No, I went for a walk and on my way back, it started raining." She shook her head and the curl fell from his hand. Shannon tweaked her nose and he flopped back on the bed. Cara felt her welcome wearing out, and she turned to leave.

"Care Bear!" Shannon yelled. She turned around guiltily. "Get over here." He called from the bed, wiggling his finger to urge her closer. She stood next to him, blushing. He stared at her and poked her stomach. "Come on; hang out with me for a while." He easily picked her up and laid her on the bed next to him. Cara blushed furiously and Matt laughed. They all relaxed around the room: Shannon and Cara lying on the bed, Matt on the sofa. They watched TV and occasionally talked. The rain was depressing and created a state of relaxation. Cara yawned, covering it with her fingertips. Shannon ran his hand down her cheek; their eyes met. Matt had fallen asleep a while ago. He stared at little Cara, watching her soft, chocolaty, tired eyes. He carefully pulled her over, laying her head on his chest. She could hear his heartbeat, beating steadily and warmly. Her fingers lightly traced his side. He shifted, tickled by her soft touch. She smiled and closed her eyes. He lightly rested his hand on her shoulder, tracing the soft curve of her back. Those soft eyes opened and stared at him. She settled more comfortably on his chest; a bang fell across her eyes. He carefully brushed it away while her eyes drifted shut once more. His hand cupped her face and she smiled, her eyes opening again.

* * *

**Adding another chapter as promised. Cut this one short for dramatic purposes. Posting again when I really shouldn't (aka in class).**

**EW;)**


	11. Sweet Dilemma

Cara couldn't understand why she was letting Shannon touch her like this. Matt was only a few feet away. He could wake up any moment. But it felt so good. His heartbeat was oddly comforting and relaxing while he softly touched her shoulder and back. She could only stare at him; those warm, friendly eyes just looked at her, comforting her and melting her heart. When she shifted to get more comfortable, he brushed away the loose bang and cupped her face. She tried to understand how he could completely relax her like this. But now was not the time to ask; the moment was too perfect. He ran his hand through her soft curls. Cara sighed and hugged herself to his absolutely perfect body. Shannon smiled softly.

Cara was absolutely melting his heart. He stared at her. Cara was perfectly innocent; her small arms hugged him and he felt a tightening in his lower body. He had to keep any groan from being voiced or she would hear it being this close or she would feel it if he wasn't careful. Her eyes kept looking into his; her small hand hesitantly touched his cheek. His hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her up to his level. The groan had to be voiced as cradled her. She bit her lower lip, staring at him.

"Cara," he growled low. He wanted to kiss those tender, pink lips; he wondered what it would be like to taste her mouth and let his hands freely roam that amazing figure. He licked his lips as he stared at the soft pink lip trapped between her perfect teeth. He threaded his hands through her hair and pulled her sensually close. His lips brushed hers as his mind was conflicted. Should he kiss her soft and slow, or firm and confident? Should he completely blow her away with a wild kiss or should he romance her a little bit? Her breasts were crushed against his chest and Shannon held her so closely.

Cara mentally shuddered. Their lips were only a hairsbreadth apart and she saw the conflict in his eyes. She wanted to kiss him, but she was terrified to move. Her hands lay on his chest; her mind was conflicted. She would have loved to kiss him but she was scared. If he was wearing a shirt it would have been easier; both of them would be fully clothed and she could maybe pull away. They both were saved from making the choice as Cara's cell phone buzzed as she received a text message. She pulled away slowly, staring at his lips. He released her hair and lay back, starting to edge away from her. Cara checked her phone; Josephine wanted to take her to dinner tomorrow to celebrate her birthday. She quickly replied that she would love to.

"Oh, wow. It really is that soon." She whispered as she saw the date. Shannon was still lying on the bed, breathing heavily. She looked at his tattoos and wanted to trace them, to feel his skin under her fingers.

Shannon seriously needed to get away from her or they needed to kiss. He sat up and looked at her. She was staring straight at his chest.

"What? Is something wrong?" he asked. He didn't want to move or he would reveal just how much she affected him and how much of a man he was.

"Josephine reminded me, my birthday is Wednesday." She couldn't tear her eyes from those artistic tattoos that decorated his body. His muscles looked eager to be touched; the very way he sat was attracting. She wanted to touch him. Shannon followed her gaze to the tattoos on his stomach.

"Like what you see?" Shannon wanted to kick himself; that was a pick up line and he used it on Cara! She shook herself out of her reverie and shied away.

"I just never noticed what your tattoos said." She replied.

"Two years and you never noticed?" he laughed. He was relaxing and he felt his body loosening.

"Well, I never really looked." She blushed and looked away. Cara was in dire need to leave. Her body was starting to throb with desire. Matt stirred and sat up; she looked at him and saw it as a possible escape route. "Welcome back to the conscious world, sleeping beauty." Shannon laughed. Matt laughed as well and stood up. "I should go back to my room; I'll see you later Shannon." She stood and walked out. Matt looked at Shannon.

"I guess it was a good thing her cell phone buzzed or you two would have been having sex eight feet from me." Matt teased his friend. Shannon flopped back on his bed, groaning loudly. "So, just how bad do you want her?" he asked.

"God, if I didn't care so much about her, I would have ripped her clothes off right there and as you said, had sex eight feet from you." Shannon growled. He was not good in dealing with sexual frustration. He either had to get laid or he had to kiss Cara soon. This was getting serious. "And her birthday is Wednesday." He ran his hands over his face.

"I know the best present you can give her. Since we'll still be here, take her to the beach. Come on, romance her a little; and, before you let her go back to the hotel, you kiss her." Matt encouraged him. Shannon sat up and nodded. "Alright; take her surfing. Whatever you do, just make sure before the day is out, you and her have freaking kissed." Matt punched his shoulder and walked out.

"Matt, wait!" His friend stopped in the doorway. "Help me out and remind me what today is!"

"It's Monday, dork." He grinned and walked out. Shannon lay on the bed and tried to forget the feeling of Cara's sweet body against him. It could have been his imagination but it looked like she wanted to kiss him back.

* * *

**And that's that. Sorry for the delay. This is what happens when they give high school kids laptops. And I discovered a new website that has been making my bad days better so I've become a little addicted. Anyway, review if you please. Hopefully another update will come soon. (I'm also developing a bad habit of remembering to update in the middle of my fifth hour class.)**

**EW ****:(|) (it's a monkey!)**


	12. Birthday Present

**Wednesday**

Shannon knocked anxiously on Cara's door. He was bouncing on the balls of his feet and waited as he heard movement behind the door. Cara opened the door, still sleepy.

"Good Morning, sunshine," Shannon cheered. Cara looked at him through sleepy eyes and glared at him for a moment.

"Shannon, do you have any concept of time and when to not bug someone?" Cara rubbed her eyes.

"Yes, but I ignore it. So, want to go down to the beach with me?" Shannon bounced past and hopped on her unmade bed.

"Why are you asking me? What about Jimmy or Matt or someone on the roster?" Cara closed the door and opened the curtains.

"Because, you are the most fun; now come on!" Shannon stopped bouncing and whined. Cara plugged her ear at his high-pitched voice.

"If you shut up and wait outside, I'll go." Cara sighed. Shannon hopped off the bed and ran to her. He picked her up in a huge hug and spun her in a circle.

"Oh, thankies Cara; I have to get some stuff so I'll meet you in the lobby." Shannon set her down and dashed out the door, slamming it behind him. Cara shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Why do I let him drag me into these things?" Cara asked the empty air. She walked to her suitcase and pulled out some clothes.

Shannon closed the door of his rental Jeep. He had towels, lunch, and surfboards were loaded on top; this little excursion with Cara was going to be fun no matter how much she tried to get out. He walked into the lobby and flopped on a soft couch. He only had to wait a few minutes as he saw Cara step out of the elevator. Shannon stood but couldn't move as he saw how Cara was dressed: denim shorts and a blouse tied in the front. Her long legs ended in dainty flip flops and Shannon couldn't take his eyes from the delicate curve of her waist, her stomach bare to the world. She walked to him with a small bag over her shoulder.

"You got me out of bed, Shannon. You better have something good planned." Cara crossed her arms over her chest and waited for his response.

"You will have fun. Nobody can hate the beach." Shannon tore himself out of his reverie and led her out of the lobby. Shannon drove them quickly to the beach, practically dragging Cara onto the sand. She flopped down when he stopped running around. "Alright, wait here and I will get the stuff." He ran back to the car, so much like a child. Cara sat on the sand, yawning slightly. In only a moment, he flopped down beside her again with a cooler, towels, and a surfboard. He stuck the board in the sand and laid down his armful of stuff.

"How long did this take you to think of?" she asked as he flopped down beside her. Shannon grinned broadly.

"Fifteen minutes. Aren't you proud of me?" he smirked at his achievement. Cara eyed him doubtfully. "I did." He pouted.

"Sure." Cara leaned back, stretching sleepily. He leaned over her; Cara tapped him on the nose.

"You're cute when you're sleepy, you know that?" he grinned.

"You say that to every girl." She smirked. Shannon shrugged.

"Do you surf?" he asked.

"No," she laughed. She sat up slowly.

"Come on, I'll teach you." Shannon dragged her up and grabbed the board.

"No, Shannon, I hate the water." Cara whined. "Shannon, wait! I still have my shirt and shorts on." Shannon stopped only to let her slip off her clothes; he gulped as Cara unbuttoned the blouse and slid it off. Her bikini was black and exposed her in all the right places. She unbuttoned her shorts and slid them down her legs. Shannon almost flipped as he saw the soft skin of her thighs. She turned back to drop her clothes in a bag, and Shannon's jaw dropped. Pale scars divided her back into different sections. Cara turned around, startled by his staring. "Are you ok, Shannon?" He shook his head and smiled.

"It's nothing. Come on, Care Bear!" he tugged Cara down towards the water with the surfboard tucked under his opposite arm. Cara swam beside him in the water while he was on the board. She would swim out of reach every time he grabbed to pull her on the board. "Cara!" he whined loudly.

"Shannon!" she whined back, teasing him. She had to admit that she loved teasing him and flirting with him; mainly she couldn't help it as his whole attitude begged for her to do so. He finally got a hold on her and pulled her onto the board in front of him.

"Gotcha, cutie!" he cheered over his small victory.

"Fine, Shannon." Cara gave in, tired of avoiding his antics.

"I'm going to make you have fun." He grinned down on her and began paddling out to deeper water. He explained every movement and soon they were surfing the waves. Shannon stopped watching the waves around and watched her; she stood near him, nervous but smiling. He lightly wrapped an arm around her waist; Cara jolted, sending them both into the water.

They surfaced in the aftermath of the wave, sputtering. He swam closer to Cara.

"I'm sorry, Cara. Are you ok? I'll take you back to the hotel." He offered. She shook her head, coughing up more seawater.

"It's ok, Shan. Let me breathe a moment." She brushed the hair from her face, smiling slightly. However, she could still feel his hand on her waist. The board, floating in the water, bumped into her back and she jumped a little. Shannon felt his restraint waning; Cara looked beautiful, the seawater reflecting the sun's light onto her. He laid his arms on the board, on either side of her. She leaned back over the board slightly until he ran a hand through her hair.

"Cara," he whispered softly. He pressed his lips to hers in a soft, loving kiss. She barely flinched and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Shannon chanced running his tongue along the seam of her lips. Cara tensed but hesitantly parted her lips for him. His tongue softly probed and explored her mouth. He heard soft moans escape her throat and he cupped her jaw in his hand. He broke away and watched Cara shiver at the sensations he was feeling himself.

"Shannon," she shuddered. He lightly placed a finger over her lips.

"Let's head back to the beach." She shivered and let him take her back to the sand. They walked out and she sat on the towel Shannon spread for her. He knelt before her, wrapping a hand behind her neck and pulling her close to kiss her. A soft, almost painful moan passed her lips and he explored her mouth, lowering her to the sand.

Cara shivered as his tongue explored her mouth. His hand covered her stomach and she wrapped her arms around his neck. She hugged him tightly and his hand covered her back. She felt his fingers run across the faint scars of her back and she carefully pulled his hand away. His hips came close and something hard pressed against her thigh; she shivered with only pure desire. Shannon wanted her; he truly wanted her. But it could have been him just lusting after her. After all, two days earlier he had practically held her captive on his bed, his mouth painfully close to hers. But the mouth that was worshipping hers pulled tenderly away.

"Cara," he whispered, his lips a hair away from hers. He stared into her eyes; he cupped her cheek and watched her soft chocolaty eyes flicker with confusion. "Cara, please, I am sorry if you don't want this. I just-" He broke off as his reasons failed him.

"Shannon, I-" she stammered and tried again. "Shannon I do want this. I just didn't know this was coming." He smiled and warmly claimed her lips again.

"You have no idea how much I have wanted to do that. Cara, I promise, I never intend to hurt you. I just want to make you feel safe. And when you came to my hotel room, I knew I needed you like you needed me." Shannon hugged her tightly.

"Shannon," she dragged her fingers down his chest. "I have always felt safe with you. And I know you can't hurt me." She surprised him by kissing him. Shannon was ecstatic. But first, he had to take this moment to release the frustration he had been feeling for weeks. His hands ran down her sides, making her back arch into him. She moaned again. He wrapped her leg around his waist and held her close. He rolled to his back, stroking her body. "Shannon," she gasped and his mouth moved across her shoulder.

"Care Bear," He murmured, placing one last kiss to her neck and sat up. Cara was gasping for breath and her shoulder and neck were red from his firm kisses and nips. He rubbed her back and held her close. They sat while their breathing settled but Cara pulled his hands off her back. "What's wrong? Is that painful for you?" he asked.

"It brings back memories. Painful memories," She replied with a distant tone. "It's not about you. It's something else." She didn't pull away like she usually did when something like this came up. Instead, she nestled into his chest. Shannon wrapped his arms around her and made sure his hands were on her waist or ribs and not on her back.

"I'm here if you ever want to talk. Now or in a year, I'll be here. I'll always be here for you." He spoke softly, staring into the depths of her eyes. Her eyes misted with tears and she smiled. Her small hands took his and she kissed his knuckles. The innocent kiss brought not-so-innocent images to his mind and he carefully pulled his hands away. Cara curled into his side as he lay back and pushed her hair away from her face. Cara let her hand run down his side and softly let her nails trail along his stomach. Shannon laughed shortly, and pulled her hand away from his stomach. Cara rested her chin on his shoulder to look into those dark eyes.

"You're ticklish." She stated.

"I bet you are too." He replied. Her eyes widened and she shook her head. "Ooh, you like to tease but don't like getting teased." His fingers lightly moved down from her shoulders towards her stomach. Cara edged away but he grabbed her firmly and his fingers ran lightly across her bare stomach. He began to tickle her and she squirmed.

"Shannon!" she screamed. He laughed and kept on tickling her. She squirmed away from his hands, laughing and pushing his hands away. "Shannon! Stop! AH!" she laughed and pushed his hands away from her stomach.

"Care Bear is ticklish!" he cheered before finally letting her back away.

"You're mean!" she stuck out her tongue and turned her back on him. Shannon crept forward, pulling her back into his arms. A smile was creeping across her face. His lips nibbled on her earlobe, kissing absently down her neck. She squirmed, leaning further into his arms. "Shannon," she whispered. He smiled, running his fingers along her arm.

"You are so cute." He spoke quietly in her ear. She smiled. "Come on."

* * *

**Finally! You know the drill, pretty button in this general vicinity that is begging to be clicked on!!**

**EW;)**


	13. Attacks, Stories, and a Kiss

**TWO WEEKS LATER**

Josephine was coming back tonight. Cara was sitting in the stage office while she flipped through a magazine. Everything was quiet. Shannon was prepping for a match later on so she was not being entertained by him. James, the main manager walked in and offered her a set of papers.

"Frost, do me a favor and drop these off. Jo's still not called in or showed up." Cara nodded and grabbed the papers. She followed him out of the door towards the women's locker room. She knocked on the door and handed the papers to the first Diva who opened the door. It happened to be Lisa Marie, known to many as Victoria.

"You know, sweetie, you would look so much cuter if you straightened your hair and left just a little curl on the end." She noted. Cara shook her head.

"No thanks. I don't have time for it." She replied and walked away. Cara felt nervous as she passed the men's locker room. Jamie Noble and Alvin stood outside and she shivered as she walked past them. She was only wearing a tank top so she was more exposed than she was used to.

"Hey, pretty lady." Jamie sneered. Cara hurried up but her arm was grabbed. "Don't ignore me, bitch!" he sneered again. She screamed and slapped him. Her arm was momentarily free but he snatched for her again; he gripped the strap of her shirt and it tore. The tear was almost complete, exposing half her bra and her stomach.

"Don't touch me!" she screamed and her nails raked his face. "Get off me!"

"I don't think so, sweetie." Jamie slapped her face and she fell to the floor.

"Back off Noble," A voice growled. Cara glanced behind her to see Dave Bautista standing with his arms crossed. She edged closer to Dave as Jamie backed away. Jamie glared at her before he dashed away down the hall. "Up you get, angel," he smiled down on her and offered a hand. She gently took his hand and he was gentle in pulling her up. He quickly took her into his arms. Dave was like the protector of every woman backstage, the assistants especially. He hugged her and Cara cried in his arms. He ran his fingers along her arm. He never harmed any woman backstage and he always took especial care of Cara.

"CARA!" Shannon yelled, running down the hall. She turned partially before she broke out of Dave's arms and into Shannon's. "Who did this? Tell me Dave." He demanded.

"Noble. He did it alone, just so you know." Dave shrugged nonchalant. Many of the men in the backstage area took exception when one of the other men attacked an assistant or any female in the company. If Shannon didn't do it, he would along with anyone who happened to hear about it.

"I'll take care of it. Thanks, man." He nodded to Dave before taking Cara to the stage office. He stopped briefly at the locker room he and Jimmy shared. Jimmy tossed him one of his shirts before he took Cara all the way to the stage office. They were alone and he set Cara on the bathroom counter. A red handprint was darkening across her cheek and bruises would probably appear on her arms from where she fell. There were no tears but she was shaking slightly. "It's ok, Care Bear. I'll take care of that pig." He kissed her cheek. "Here's a shirt. Jo is going to be pissed when she hears about this." He laid the shirt on the counter near her. He lifted her chin and softly kissed her lips. They had been unofficially dating for two weeks and he had never let her be alone. Cara stayed with him now, sleeping beside him. She had not had a single nightmare since they kissed. He probed her small lips and when she opened to him, he lovingly explored her mouth. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders and pressed him to her. His hands lightly pulled off the remains of her shirt, tossing them aside. He cracked open his eyes to see she was wearing a lacy blue bra. He groaned and he kissed her more firmly. Her fingers ran through his hair.

Josephine walked into the stage office with a soft smile. Two weeks on vacation and she had really missed the stage office. She still had to see what Cara had done for the past two weeks. She walked into the bathroom, hearing a strange noise and was surprised by the sight that greeted her. Cara and Shannon were kissing. Shannon wasn't wearing a shirt and Cara was only in a bra. She saw the remains of a shirt tossed in the corner of the room. She was surprised that Cara was responding to his kiss.

"I see things have changed around here," she grinned, leaning against the door frame. Cara jumped away and covered her chest. Shannon flushed lightly. Cara carefully reached for the shirt on the counter and covered her exposed body. She flushed brightly as Shannon stepped forward to block the view of an almost topless Cara. "Mister, get your butt out of here. You're match is in five minutes." Jo nodded her head out the door. Shannon blushed and hurried out. Jo was the boss and it was unwise to disobey her. Cara wrapped the shirt around her shoulders and stared at the tile floor. "Little lady, explain now."

"Where do you want me to start?" she replied.

"Start with Shannon kissing you; and you kissing him back," Jo demanded.

"He took me out the morning after we had dinner and we went surfing. He just kissed me." Cara didn't look up from the tile floor.

"And you ending up in a bra in the stage office bathroom with him shirtless resulted from this how?" Jo stepped into the room.

"I was delivering stuff to the Diva's locker room. I had to walk past the men's locker room and Jamie Noble was mad that he got suspended the last time he tried something. He tore my shirt and threw me down." Cara was quiet.

"HE DID WHAT?!" Jo screamed. "Who stopped him? Shannon?" she demanded rapidly.

"It was Dave and then Shannon came." Cara admitted. Jo took a deep breath.

"Thank whatever all the gods that are for David Michael Bautista." She sighed and wrapped her arms around Cara. "It's ok sweetie." Jo pulled back shortly when she noticed Cara was not crying or sniffling. "You aren't crying anymore and you're eyes are barely red." She pointed out. Cara shrugged. Tears seemed pointless around Shannon and they always brought his unflinching devotion to her. She didn't mind his devotion and he always made crying seem so pointless.

Josephine was surprised by how much Cara had changed in only two weeks. Two weeks ago, this young woman was still struggling with the concept that someone sought to help her and make her feel safe. Now, she was showing this man the ultimate affection and was so comfortable with him. She had been teary eyed before, crying when violence or harsh things happened to scare her and remind her. Now she just resigned herself to the fact that it happened.

"He just made crying seem so pointless unless I couldn't stop it." Cara shrugged and put her hands through the sleeves and tightened the shirt around her.

"Alright, sweetie; I'm arranging for punishment for him. I think I'll talk to the writer's about having him in a match with Oleg Prudius. That guy may be a little standoffish but he really takes offense when a woman is hurt." Josephine thought out loud. Cara stepped out of the bathroom and they walked out. "I think I will have the writer's make the match a wing match."

"Wing match?" Cara asked, sitting across from her.

"It's a match where the wrestlers, in essence, wing it. They fight using whatever they want and the ending is dependent on the wrestlers." Josephine explained as she wrote the message to the writers. "Oleg is a good man and he usually gets upset when women get hurt. I wouldn't be surprised that man has a worse temper towards woman assaulters than Dave does." Cara shrugged. She hadn't really spoken to Oleg, not like many did. "I'm going to do something a little naughty. I know I shouldn't but this will be your revenge." Josephine let a creeping smile cross her face.

"What are you planning?" she asked.

"You will deliver the message to Oleg about the match and I will leave a special message only he will get to tell him why this match is going on." She smirked. "When I send you with the message, stay for an answer." Josephine turned to her computer and quickly typed a message. When she printed it, it was in Cyrillic letters. "Give this to Oleg and it asks for a reply. Stay until he gives you one." Cara nodded and took the message. When she arrived at Oleg's locker room, he looked down on her with a curious look and when he finished his eyes were hard but caring. He nodded. Cara nodded in return and started to walk back.

"Tell Josephine that I plan on inflicting all she asked and more." Cara stopped and looked back at him. Oleg was caring but serious in his intent to take care of her. She nodded back and walked back. When she relayed his message, Josephine smiled. The smile was evil and almost cruel but it was justified. Shannon walked into the office later on and wrapped an arm around her waist. He was obviously nervous.

"Stop fidgeting, Shannon. I won't bloody hurt you. It might be better this way. And if you want revenge on Noble, you are taking backseat to Oleg right now. Believe it or not, that man has a serious problem with anyone who strikes a woman." Shannon let out a heavy breath. He ran his hand down Cara's arm and she smiled at him.

Cara placed a hand on Shannon's back, tracing his warm muscles. She didn't understand how, but Shannon always seemed to radiate warmth and comfort. He smiled and kissed her temple. Josephine laced her fingers together and smiled at the couple. Cara had barely stopped smiling since Shannon walked in the room and she had never felt more happiness in that girl's heart in almost two years. Shannon had brought out the life of Cara and was always making her smile.

"You two can get along. I'd rather not have the bosses come in and have you two making out in here." Josephine smiled and turned back to her work. Shannon grinned and picked up Cara, lightly tossing her over his shoulder. She laughed as he carried her out the door. After carrying her only a few feet into the hall, he set her down and lightly kissed her lips. His fingers ran through her hair and Cara giggled, nestling into his chest.

"Get a room, reject," Adam Copeland spat. Shannon glared at him but Cara's hand on his arm stopped him from replying.

"Ignore him. You're better than him." She told him, turning his face away from the bitter Canadian.

"I know. I don't have to fake a relationship to get a lovely woman. And I don't have to sleep with the writer's to keep getting title opportunities." He smirked.

"I thought all the writers were guys?" Cara asked. Shannon nodded. She paled and covered her mouth. "Gross. Though, he has to be with that haircut and that attitude." Shannon grinned.

"You're funny." He laughed. He kissed her lips again and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "My shirt looks good on you." He remarked, looking up and down over her torso. She blushed and her fingers ran through the ends of his hair. He smirked and kissed her cheek. She blushed again and wrapped her arms around his neck. Shannon grinned and set her on a crate. They smiled and he nuzzled her cheek. She blushed and moved closer into his arms. She always enjoyed his touch and his affection. He pressed his forehead to hers and looked into her deep eyes. He stared at her and lightly touched her soft waist. The show ended without their notice and it was only when Josephine lightly touched Shannon's arm did they notice anything but each other.

"You can go now. The show's over." Josephine laughed and Cara blushed when Shannon picked her up, carrying her with her legs around his waist. He carried her to the stage office, kicking the door shut behind him. He set her down and kissed her firmly. The softest of moans passed her lips and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Care Bear," he groaned. He slid his tongue over her lips; he was eager for more of her. As his tongue explored her mouth, he felt a rising tension in her body. He stopped and looked in her eyes. He stared at her; the nervousness showed in her eyes like a beacon. She was scared, but not of him. She was scared of what he was suggesting. He pushed back her loose bangs and kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry. I was being too rough." He apologized, only holding her. She blushed, and rested her head on his shoulder. She could only be thankful that Shannon could read her so easily. He hugged her and backed away; Cara grabbed her bag and walked with him outside.

Cara stretched as she closed the door to his hotel room. She had told Josephine that she stopped staying in her own room and just started staying with Shannon. Josephine had been skeptical but let it slide when Cara told her that there were no more nightmares, dreams or memories haunting her days. Shannon dropped his bag in the corner and he grabbed Cara from behind. As long as she knew he was in the room with her, she didn't scream when he grabbed her. He spun her in a circle and kissed her shoulder blades. She smiled and a tiny whimper passed her lips when his tongue started to trace her spine. He set her on the bed, and his tongue continued to trace her body. Her fingers gripped the blankets and his hands started steady exploration.

"Cara," he groaned and pressed her down. He started to move all over her body, pressing her curves down. She shook, moaning.

It had started three days ago; he cornered her, kissing her ardently and moving all over her. He roamed her body, not with lust but with worship. He worshipped her body like he was paying tribute to the goddess in her. It was like it wasn't him, but at the same time it was. His mouth dragged over her neck and she felt his teeth along her skin. Shannon groaned again and he had her under his mercy. He pinned her down and his fingers caught the top of her jeans; her breath hitched but she didn't make him stop. Shannon stopped, staring into her eyes.

"Shannon," she breathed.

"Cara, I'm sorry." He pulled away. He sat on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. "God, what am I doing?" Cara sat up and gently touched his shoulder. He pulled away, pacing the room. "I don't know how you can look at me when I do this to you."

"Shannon," she called. She started to reach for him but he moved further away from her.

"Cara, how can you look at me when all I do is just abuse your body like it's my toy?" he didn't look at her. She shook her head and sighed.

"Shannon, stop it." She grabbed his arm and cupped his face. "I don't know why you think that. I've never felt safe among men; just one of the flaws of who I am. But I have never felt safer than when it's your hands on me and your mouth on mine." She smiled, kissing his mouth.

"But I keep taking advantage of that. I keep cornering you just because I can't taste you on my lips anymore." Shannon objected. She kissed him sweetly.

"And I'm too shy to go to you when I stop tasting you. Shannon, I'm not a china doll that's going to break at the slightest touch. I care for you a lot; I don't want you to be worrying about me all the time. If you think that you're using my body, then think of it as your fee for protecting me."

"Cara, that's not fair—" he started but she placed a small finger over his lips.

"Enough. If you are going too far, then I will let you know; don't worry about it until then." She told him. He sighed and smiled.

"Cara, you're a bloody saint," he pushed back a loose chocolate curl of hair and kissed her forehead. He kissed her lips next and he carried her back to the bed. Shannon traced her lips with his finger, absorbed in the minutest details about her. She flushed under his intense study; Shannon smirked, sliding his hand down her side. Cara moved into his arms; her fingers ran through his black and blonde hair, pushing it away from his mesmerizing eyes. "I don't know how you put up with me." She sighed and he instantly saw her become uncomfortable.

"Shannon," she started. "I need to tell you something. You wanted to know what happened to me and I think you have a right to know; especially with how we are now." She looked down and moved out from his arms. Her fingers wrung together in her lap and he sat behind her, rubbing her back.

"Just tell me. Nothing you can say will drive me away." He rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Shan, before I came to the WWE, I didn't exactly have the perfect life. I mean, there are things I went through that would make you cringe. I was abused by my own father. He was a drug addict and a drunk because my mother died when I was so young. He made me deliver his drugs and collect his money because I looked so innocent. And I could leave it at that but I would be lying to you about it. By the time I was seventeen, I had tried to commit suicide three times." Cara sighed heavily as the words left her lips. Shannon was surprised by how much she told him. He had expected a bit at a time but all of it at once was surprising. He rubbed her back and kissed her shoulder.

"Care Bear, it's ok. Nobody has the perfect life; and if you want a secret, I thought about suicide at one point." He admitted. That was the lesser known secret of his life; Jeff and Matt had stopped him and they didn't ever talk about it after that.

"Shannon, you thought about it. I actually tried! Three times I tried to take my own life because I was tired of my life." Cara looked back at him. She was upset; it was common for people to think about it, but she had actually tried. "I tried to hang myself; I tried to jump off a bridge; I tried to poison myself with carbon monoxide." She touched his shoulders.

"Cara I did try. Matt and Jeff were the only ones who knew because they stopped me. We just left it at me considering it so nobody knew the truth." Shannon held her shoulders, staring into those dark eyes. "I know what you are going through. I know how it feels; but you can't shut me out because you think it changes anything. I'm still here and I still care about what happens to you. I want to be with you Cara, if you'll have me." He kissed her hair and stroked her back. Her eyes misted with tears and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'll have you, if you'll have me, too," she whispered against his shoulder.

"Of course," he smiled and kissed her cheek. "Let's get some sleep." She nodded and he nudged off her shoes with a foot. She blushed and nestled into his chest.

* * *

**I am SO SORRY!! I didn't realize how long I had gone without updating. My senior year is turning into a mess so things have been stressful. Thankfully, I have 9 school days left and I'll be able to upload a little more often. I'm going to try to upload the rest of the story soon. The only thing to do is divide chapters. I'm hoping by July I'll have this finally all uploaded.**

**EW;)**


	14. An Issue

Josephine stared at the memo from the writers. They wanted a new face to join Shannon and Jimmy for the rivalry against Morrison and the Miz. And the popular consensus from the roster was to put Cara on screen. Her fingers trembled as she set it down and considered the possibility. Cara was not supposed to be on screen ever; she had to talk to her or she had to deny the writers.

A knock came from the door and she let the person come in. Mark Calloway stepped in; Jo had always had a certain fondness for Mark. He was a bit rough around the edges, but he was absolutely fuzzy when somebody got him to laugh.

"Umm, Mark? Is something wrong?" she asked. For the first time in about twenty years, Mark looked nervous. He almost looked like he was blushing. "Mark?" she asked when he was quiet for a while.

"Sorry, just kind of zoned out there." He stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Mark, you never zone out. What's wrong with you?" she watched him sit in a chair with his head in his hands. His reddish hair was threaded through his fingers as he thought it out. She rolled in her chair around the desk, taking his large hands in her smaller ones.

"Jo, umm, I don't know. I don't know why I came in here." Mark shook his head and stood up.

"Wait Mark; what's wrong?" She grabbed his large bicep. "Sit down; talk to me." The big man sat complacently.

"Jo, I was just wondering if, you know, if you might want to go for a drink after the show…with me?" he kept his green eyes on the floor until she tucked her hand under his chin and raised his eyes to hers.

"Mark," she looked into those big green eyes. "I'd love to." She smiled and a soft grin crossed his face. "Now, go on. You've got a show to do and I have assistants to scare." Jo patted his shoulder and he walked out with a grin on his face. "And get that grin off your face! You are supposed to be the Undertaker!" she called after him. She smirked and shook her head. Cara stepped inside, curling a finger through her hair. "And what are you up to?" Cara blushed. "Ah, making out with Shannon, eh?" she teased.

"No! Just hanging out with him," she blushed and looked down.

"Alright, now listen. Something has come up and I want you to consider it before you say anything. I didn't suggest this but I have to at least propose it to you." Jo paused and picked up the memo. "The writer's are looking for a new girl to valet Shannon and Jimmy in their run for the tag team championships. Based on a consensus of the roster, they have voted to use you. They want you to start in two weeks." Cara was shocked.

"But, I can't be on screen. I mean I can't be seen until I know for sure he's locked up." Cara objected.

"I knew you wouldn't like it but think about it. They won't accept anyone. They're thinking about making it a romantic storyline between you and Shannon so it's a little more natural for you. But they really want you to accept." Jo begged. Cara stared at her hands in her lap.

"I'll think about it." She sighed and walked out. Cara wandered the halls listlessly until someone touched her shoulder. It was Dave Bautista.

"What's wrong, angel?" he asked, looking down on her. She sighed, pushing a bang away.

"Nothing," she sighed, staring at the floor. He pushed away her loose curls.

"Come on. We both know that it's never 'nothing'. Talk to me." Dave bent to look into her eyes.

"The writers want to put me on screen." She mumbled. Dave sighed.

"Was that so hard?" he asked. She nodded and he laughed. "Alright, so they want you on screen. It won't kill you. Just relax. It's almost like you aren't who you are. I mean, look at me: who I am here and who I am in the ring. Don't worry about it. Angel, you are a pretty thing but in a crowd, you don't stick out. So who is going to recognize you, after how many years?" He raised her chin and stared into her eyes. "You won't have any problems. They will change your last name or never mention it and all will be good. Now, get a smile on that pretty face and relax." He ruffled her hair, and headed towards a camera crew. She sat on a crate and held her head in her hands.

"Hey, Care Bear," Shannon smiled, leaning against the crate. "What are you doing out here?" he asked, leaning on his elbows and looking up at her while he rested his chin in his hands.

"Shan," she breathed. She pushed back her hair stared at the far wall.

"Talk to me; what's up?" he asked, watching her eyes.

"Besides the ceiling?" she asked, looking at him. He laughed and took her hand. "I heard something was happening."

"I know. The writers want you in; I don't know what to do. Jimmy is fine with it but I don't know if you should do it." Shannon straightened up and brushed his hair back. "What do you think, Care Bear?" he asked.

"Dave told me that on screen you aren't who you really are and that nobody would recognize me. I just hope he's right but I don't know. I'm terrified of being in front of that camera." Cara sighed and her fingers tangled in her hair.

"Cara, I hate to tell you this; but the latest word from the writers is that, despite what you want, you have to do it. They've already written out a whole story and they will have you out in about three months." Shannon looked at her and her now frightened expression.

"Shannon! I can't! My—" she was cut off with a heated kiss. Shannon kissed her firmly, cradling her face in his hands. She sighed into his mouth but lightly resisted. He pulled back a bit. "Shannon, I can't do it." He kissed her again; he was drawing little moans from her throat. He hated to do this, but he had to do it or the writers would be furious. Cara had to agree; and he had to do it or she would never agree. His tongue drew each moan from her throat as he tried to persuade her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her close.

"Cara, please. You have to." He begged. She was scared but Shannon knew he could make her do it. "Cara, there's no other option. It's you or the writers will make our lives hell." She flinched as he nipped her lower lip and tasted her mouth heatedly. Her fingers tangled in his hair as her resolve began to fail. "Please, Care Bear. Only two or three months and you'll be done." He mumbled against her hair. She almost collapsed in his arms.

"Alright, Alright, I'll bloody do it." She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I know you don't want to, Cara. But it's only for a little while. The worst part is your introduction. But don't worry, you won't get hurt or be in any real danger." He pushed back her soft curls. "You'll be with me the whole way."

"I hope so, Shannon," she sighed and hugged him. "I'm scared. This feels wrong." She looked up into his enigmatic eyes and he smiled.

"You won't be in any danger." He ran his thumb across her lips. "You're not going to be anywhere without me. Your first night, the farthest you'll be is a few feet away at the beginning of the shot. I'll be there the entire time." He promised. Cara was still unsure but she would do it for him.

"Alright already; I'll do it but I'm not going to like it." Cara groaned and rested her head on his shoulder. "I'll try as long as you're there." She breathed deeply. He brushed her hair back and kissed her temple. Cara sighed again and Shannon tugged on a loose curl to make her smile. She giggled and he helped her off the crate. "I better get back to Josephine's office and let her know." Shannon smiled and hugged her tightly. Cara walked back to the stage office.

"Hey," Josephine called softly as Cara stepped inside. "It's probably too early to know but have you decided?" Cara nodded and took a seat with a stack of papers.

"I'll do it. I don't like it, but Shannon's convinced me to do it," Cara sighed. Josephine took a deep breath.

"I know you hate it but just remember that you aren't contracted to go on screen. It's a fling the writers get sometimes; you're on screen for a month or two and then you just disappear. They either fake your injury or they invent excuses to make you go. You won't get hurt. I have the script they want to do for your introduction. The worst is Morrison will try to toss you to the ground but Shannon and Jimmy will catch you. And they only plan to have you get a little scared by John and Mike. I mean, the worst is having them intimidate you." Josephine looked over a copy of a temporary script. "Don't worry; I've got a few friends in the creative department. I won't let them get you in a lot of trouble."

Cara smiled and flicked through the papers. When the show ended, Josephine and Cara walked into the garage. Cara looked up at the night sky, staring at the stars; Josephine watched her small face flicker with faint emotions. The minute changes in her face reflected her conflicted thoughts; Cara sighed heavily as the starlight was reflected in her eyes.

"Cara?" Josephine asked. "Are you alright? I know you're worried but I've already told the writers to not use your last name." Shannon snuck up behind Cara, a tiny smirk on his face. Josephine smiled and knew that the best way to cheer up Cara was to leave it to Shannon. He wrapped his arms around her waist and spun her in a wide circle. "I'll leave you be. I have a date with Mark tonight. Good night, Cara," she smiled and walked to her car.

"You have a date, Jo? With Mark?" Shannon laughed. She glared at him and walked away. Cara lightly slapped his arm. "What? What did I do?" He asked, pulling her against his chest.

"Everything," she replied, smiling at her motherly boss with affection. Shannon kissed the top of her head and touched her back. His fingers spread across her body and he felt slight lines along her back that weren't from her shirt. She flinched and his hands pulled away.

"I'm sorry."

"No, you should know all about me if you want to be with me," she blushed. "I'll show you when we get to the hotel." Shannon cupped her face and kissed her lips softly. She shrugged and they drove in a silence. Once the door of their room was shut, Cara started to pull up her shirt. Shannon stopped her, lowering her shirt back over her skin. "Shannon, if you want to be with me, you have to know everything about me." She objected quietly.

"No," he replied, standing right behind her. Her back curved to his chest and he held onto her shoulders. "You aren't comfortable telling me now. I want what you feel comfortable telling me." Cara sighed and the relaxation in her shoulders told him he was right. She seemed to be uncomfortable talking about anything in her past. "I'll take everything you tell me to my grave but I want you to be prepared when you say it."

"Shannon, I am ready to tell you this. I'm just nervous because you are the second person who's ever seen me like this." Cara looked down. "The first was a doctor and most of my wounds were bleeding."

"Cara, you are too uncomfortable. Just wait until you feel ready."

"I am ready. But I've been living the past several years with the rule of never let them see me like this. I can't break that in an instant." Cara turned away from him. Shannon sighed and let her believe in herself. He was just worried she would panic when she told him.

"Alright." He agreed, placing his hands gently on her waist. His fingers were gentle as he pulled up her shirt, stopping just underneath her bust. His hand traced the pale scars that divided her back. Some were faint, like just a simple cut; others were deep and gnarled like a knife had sliced her open repeatedly. Shannon growled as he traced her scars.

"I told you my father beat me. He didn't care because he was always high or drunk when he did it." His hands were gentle, soothing them to make her feel safer.

"I'm sorry, Cara. For everything you had to endure because he was an ass." He kissed her shoulder and rested his head on it.

"It's not your fault, Shannon." She replied, gently touching his hand. "You've never hurt me." Her soft smile assured him that she would be alright for now. "I wonder how Jo is doing on her date." Cara asked. Shannon laughed and picked her up. They lay on the sofa and he turned on the TV. Cara laid on his chest, tracing her fingers over his abs. His hand lay on her back, rubbing softly. She seemed so content in his arms and she looked lost in just him.

"What's on your mind, Care Bear?" he asked, pushing her loose curls away. "Is it about the writers?"

"No, well yes and no." Cara sighed with frustration. "I have a lot of scars and people will see them if I'm just wearing short sleeves and short skirts." Shannon clasped her small hand in his.

"I already talked with the writers about it. I told them you are going to be a modest woman. You won't be a Diva, just one of the backstage workers." Shannon assured her. "Plus the makeup artists can cover most of that up." Cara sighed and nestled back onto his chest. He kissed her hand and rested his head on hers. They fell asleep, cradled in each other's embrace.

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**Yay!! I'm on a roll with two updates in 24 hours! My muse has returned and I'm getting my first big spark in months. Just so you all know, we are on pg 64/100. This story is my longest (and my only finished one). Hopefully, my muse will decide what the heck to do in the New Girl. If you have any suggestions, I'm open.**

**EW;)**


	15. On Camera

A/N: I am so sorry for this long of a delay. My personal life basically went to hell in a handbasket very quickly. Thankfully, I am in a better place now. I won't bore anybody with the details. Hopefully this will make up for it. The final product is 100 pages on Microsoft Word and I'm at about 28 with the addition of this chapter.

Again, my sincerest apologies for letting this story go for so long without an update. Now, onward and the continuation of _Frostbite…_

(Bold sequences are on-camera scenes)

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"Miss Frost, please stand over here." The camera director pointed to her spot and directed everyone to their places. "Alright and three, two, one!"

"**So, John, you have plans for later tonight after we beat that reject and the cowboy wannabe?" The Miz laughed. John Morrison laughed with him.**

"**Yeah, it's going to be you, me and—" John paused as Cara stepped into the shot.**

"**Mr. Morrison, this message was left for you in the General Manager's office." She handed the blank paper to him. John took it and tossed it over his shoulder, stepping closer to her.**

"**Well, well, well, what do we have here?" He smirked. "How about you join me and Miz tonight for a little party?" his sneer was almost too realistic. Cara stepped back.**

"**No thank you." She took another step back as John scowled.**

"**What? Don't you know who we are? You should be honored that we would take any interest in you." He raised his hand as if to slap her with the back of his hand. Cara started and stepped back, shying away from him. Miz scowled and pushed her down; Cara almost screamed until Shannon caught her. He set her on her feet as Jimmy stepped forward.**

"**What's wrong, Morrison? Have to pick on little ladies to be able to win against anyone?" Shannon taunted. Jimmy laughed.**

"**Back off, reject!" Miz stepped forward.**

"**Don't think about it. We will be taking those titles tonight." Jimmy demanded.**

"**I don't think so. And later, I'll be taking that lovely lady of yours back with me." John sneered, glancing at Cara. She shivered and shied away.**

"**Try it and you'll be leaving in an ambulance." Shannon growled. John sneered but walked away.**

"**We'll see, loser. We'll see." Shannon glared at John and the Miz for a few moments until he turned to look at the shaking Cara.**

"**You ok, darling?" he asked, gently touching her arm. She jumped a little but nodded. "What's your name?" he asked, pulling back his hand.**

"**Cara." She replied, forcing a smile. Shannon grinned. Jimmy glanced between them and gently touched Cara's shoulder.**

"**Do you want a front row seat to Morrison's ass-kicking?" Jimmy teased. Cara nodded and smiled. "Let's go. Our match is in a few minutes." Jimmy and Shannon linked arms with Cara who nervously smiled and followed them off screen.**

"And cut! Perfect boys and lady." The director laughed as the crew packed up. Cara sighed heavily and fell against Shannon's chest.

"What's wrong with you? You're a fantastic actor, Care Bear!" He teased. She took a shaky breath.

"It's called stage fright," she took his hand in hers. He kissed her cheek. "And I danced ballet for years. I could walk on a stage and dance but I can't act comfortably." Shannon laughed and they sat on a crate near the gorilla position.

"Just think of something completely stupid and random before you walk on and it keeps you pretty calm." Jimmy suggested. Cara nodded and nestled into Shannon's warm arms. He kissed the top of her head and rubbed her arms. They stayed that way until Shannon had to stretch and they had to do a brief shot before they went to commercial.

"**Ready?" Shannon asked. Cara nodded; a shy smile graced her face. "Come on, I know you will enjoy this."**

"**I hope so." Jimmy teased. "Give us a few minutes to stretch and we'll be ready for you." They stepped out of the shot and Cara looked after them, biting her fingernails and giggling quietly. She turned away and walked away with a bright blush on her face.**

"See? It's easy. Just think of something random and it works." Jimmy patted her shoulder. Shannon took her in his arms and they waited against the wall. She started to shake when the match before theirs was over. Shannon kissed her shoulder and tried to soothe her.

"It's not working Shannon." Cara turned in his arms, shaking uncontrollably. "I can't do it. I can't do this."

"Care Bear, you can. Calm down," Shannon kissed her forehead, enclosing her in his arms. "There is nothing you can't do. Just breathe." He whispered in her ear. He caressed her hair, and made her look into his eyes. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips and whispered sweet comforts against her lips. "Sh, it will be fine. Just remember that I'll be right there."

"Moore, Yang, Frost, you're up!" a stage hand yelled. Cara took a deep breath and followed them out. **She smiled and waved but there was obvious tension in how she walked and rested her hands on each of their arms. Shannon led her around the ring, stopping at the steps and kissing her hand. He climbed into the ring and she blushed, almost falling back while holding her hand to her chest. She watched him walk around the ring, hyping the crowd and winking at her. Cara blushed and looked away. John and Miz came out to a chorus of boos and they sneered at the three.**

"**I'll be seeing you later, baby," John sneered at her and she flinched. Shannon stepped between them. "What? Protecting your personal bitch?" Shannon knew there was no act in this; John was stabbing him hard. He shoved him back with a scowl.**

"**You won't ever touch her!" Shannon growled. The match didn't wait any longer. Shannon tackled him to the ground and fought with a ferocity nobody had ever seen in him before. When Jimmy tagged himself in, Shannon was fuming on the apron. Cara stood behind him, nervous and took a bold step to gently touch his leg. He turned to her and smiled but it was strained. She stepped back as the Miz began to cheap-shot Jimmy and resulted in a brawl. John was tossed out of the ring next to Cara and she shied away. He stood shakily and when he saw her, he stalked her, chasing her around the ring. Cara fled, running around the ring until Shannon stopped her, stepping in between them. "Back off!" Cara stepped around the ring and fearfully backed away. Jimmy and the Miz were still the legal men and Jimmy got the pin. Shannon heard the bell and kicked John one last time before climbing into the ring. Cara stood outside the ring, still timid. Shannon slid out of the ring, taking her under his arm. "It's ok." He whispered in her ear. They walked up the ramp with Jimmy and saluted the crowd once more before disappearing behind the curtain.**

Cara nearly broke down once the curtain closed behind them. Shannon held tightly onto her, kneeling down with her.

"I never, ever want to do that again." She cried. Shannon kissed her shoulder. "I can't do this."

"Cara, calm down. You'll be fine." He hugged her and cradled her like a child. "With any luck, they'll have you gone in a few weeks."

"I don't want to wait a few weeks, Shannon. I want out now." She shook uncontrollably.

"There's nothing we can do. Just calm down. The problem is that the crowds responded well to you. They want to see you again." Shannon held her on his lap and pushed back loose chocolate curls. He kissed her forehead; he rocked her back and forth.

"Shannon," she whimpered and took a shaky breath. He continued to hold her and kiss her softly. When she was calmer, he led her back to their locker room and let her rest while they showered. Cara couldn't stop thinking what she had gotten in to. Maybe, just maybe she would be safe; but fear did not easily release her heart. She could only pray that he was not surfing the television to find her.

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Thank you for your patience again. I promise to keep updating.


	16. Secrets and a Problem

**A/N: Wow. Two chapters in a week! Thanks again to everybody for putting up with my stupidity. Now, onward and upward. Enjoy!**

**WARNING: Later in this chapter has a bit of racy material (PG-13)**

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Cara lay asleep in bed while Shannon sat in a chair and watched her. She had been tossing and turning most of the night; she had only settled down a few moments ago. He was worried. She was so scared of her father that she was suffering though nothing had even happened. He loved her, he knew that much. But he was not going to do anything about that until she was safe.

"Care Bear, I worry for you. I wish I could kill your father for you: get him out of your head and make you feel safe." He whispered in the stillness that came after two in the morning. Cara stirred a little and he saw her eyes open.

"Shannon?" she whispered. It was still dark so she couldn't see him easily. He stood and came back to her.

"I'm here, Care Bear." He knelt on the bed and kissed her cheek.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, taking his hand in hers. Cara sat up and looked into his eyes.

"No, baby. My knee's a little sore from the match and it's bugging me. I'm just walking a little to ease it up." Shannon lied through his teeth. He hated doing that to her but she should not know why he was having trouble sleeping. "Go back to sleep, Care Bear. I'm fine." He smiled and pushed her back down, pulling the covers up to her chin. He kissed her lips and backed away. Cara settled down but not without a concerned look at him. She knew he was lying and he knew she knew. Shannon stepped into the hall with a key and closed the door. She was not going to be happy with him for lying but he needed to think. He worried so much that maybe things could go wrong; her father might find her and it would be entirely his fault. He had made her go onscreen. The thought tore at his heart and the possibility of her reaction almost made his heart stop. She might leave him, hate him, or worse. He paced the halls and walked the stairwells, still trying to ease his own nerves; he could only hope that she would be safe.

Cara came out of the shower to see Shannon curled up in bed still. She knew he had not been hurting last night but his reasons were hardly her business. But there was a meeting this morning she had to attend. She knelt on the bed and kissed him softly. She straightened her sweater and walked out. He could hide things from her and she would not mind. She had hidden things from him; he could do that to her. When she stepped into the conference room, Josephine smiled.

"You ok, Cara?" she asked. "You look like something's wrong."

"No, it's nothing. Well," Cara paused. "Shannon was up last night and moving around. He said he was hurting but I don't think he was. It's alright; he's been bothered lately." Josephine rubbed her back.

"Don't fret, Cara. He cares about you way too much." Jo moved her to a chair and the meeting started. Cara was obviously concerned for him but she did her best to push it from her mind. Shannon would tell her in time; besides, it was no business of hers what he did by himself.

"He better be there," her voice warned. He nodded.

"Of course he will be. There's a stage meeting this morning; he'll be asleep for a while yet." The sick smile that crossed his face was cruel. "Just hold up your end of the bargain."

"I will. Trust me."

"A little hard to when you are willing to do this." He grumbled. She stopped outside the door and turned on him. Her hand reached low and grabbed him through his pants.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." She smirked. He started when she grabbed him but he smirked at the thought.

"Hurry up then. The meeting will be over soon and she needs to see it." He warned and slid the key into the lock. She smiled and walked into the dark room. The shades were drawn and the room was still in that early morning twilight. She smirked, shutting the door behind her.

"You've denied me long enough, Shannon Moore. I guess I just have to take what I want." She sighed as if she regretted what she would do. Stripping out of her clothes, she pulled down the blankets and stared approvingly at the boxers doing little to hide him from her sight. She yanked the boxers down and he stirred, groaning sleepily.

"Cara?" he mumbled. He still wasn't awake so she easily straddled him and took his organ in her hands. The groan from him was appreciated.

"You always were a big boy, weren't you?" she thought and moved her hands up and down him, making him harden. He growled lower in his chest and his hands reached for her.

"Mm, Cara," he growled. She didn't say anything. Once he was stiff and still too asleep to realize what was happening, she moved up and sank down on him, giving a little moan of content. She rode him hard, sliding onto him without regret. Her head fell back and she treasured the moment she would have with him.

Cara left the meeting with a smile. Shannon had never kept anything from her for long. She knew he would tell her once he was sure of it himself. She took the elevator with a few other stage workers and walked down the hall. When she slid the key into the lock, something strange prickled her neck. It was like a premonition, like when her father was about to get mad at her. She shook it off, knowing it would not matter terribly if he was mad at her. She opened the door and immediately wished she had not. Shannon and a naked Crystal were on the bed, having sex. Cara was unsure whether to scream or run. But what scared her most of all was Shannon looked so satisfied with Crystal on top of him. The fear was immediately overridden by anger.

"Shannon!" she screamed. He opened his eyes, first seeing the woman on top of him, then Cara in the doorway.

"Cara?" he immediately flung Crystal off of him and wrapped a sheet around his waist. "Cara, please, I didn't do this." She stared at him, tears in her eyes.

"I thought you cared about me. Apparently I'm only part of the stupid bet in the locker room! Just who can nail me first, is that it? But I wouldn't give in fast enough so you had to satisfy it with someone else!" Cara screamed, angry and hurt. He came closer, trying to reason with her.

"Cara, I swear, I never took part of that bet; I didn't let her in here!" he insisted. "I do care about you, more than you might know. Please, give me a chance to explain myself."

"No, Shannon! I'm not going to fall for your games! Goodbye and enjoy the woman you obviously care about more than me." Her voice hissed angrily. He grabbed her arm, hoping to persuade her to stay. But she turned and slapped him across the cheek. "Don't touch me, you liar!" Cara turned away and walked off; tears streaming down her face and the hurt were perceptible from the other end of the hall. Superstars had filled the hall with Cara's screaming; some were confused and others looked angrily at Shannon.

Shannon knew he should go after her, try to plead with her to listen. But the rage at losing Cara was too much. And he had only one person to take it out on. He stormed back into the room. Crystal was dressing, trying to be seductive when he turned back to her. She stood and sauntered to him.

"Get your ass out of here, bitch!" he bit out around gritted teeth.

"Don't act so sulky, Shannon. You enjoyed every minute of it so don't complain," Crystal flirted.

"Get out!" he bellowed and Crystal fled. Shannon felt better but the ache in his chest would not stop until he got Cara back. He dressed quickly, bolting into the hall; at the elevator, somebody grabbed his arm and glared hard at him. "Dave, don't start with me. You know I would never do that to her!"

"I know you Shannon." Dave Bautista growled. "But I'm warning you, Cara is like my own child. I've watched her for years, so don't you dare break her heart!" He squeezed Shannon's arm tight enough to leave some dark bruises. He let him go and Shannon took the elevator down. When he stepped off, Mark Calloway cornered him and glared down at him with livid green eyes.

"Mark," Shannon tried to be calm. "I know this is a mistake I've made. I'll take care of it." Mark took Shannon's shoulder in his hand and tightened the grip.

"Moore, you better take care of her. I've watched her for too long to see you screw around on her." Mark's voice was dangerously low and the threat was obvious. "You better not have invited that slut to your room or so help me, you will no longer be here."

"I don't need a reminder." Shannon spat.

"Then deal with the mistake." Mark let his shoulder go and Shannon took off to Josephine's room. It was the only place Cara would go to besides him.

"Cara! I know you're in there! Give me the courtesy to at least talk to me!" Shannon banged on the door loudly. Josephine opened the door, stepped in the hall, and slammed it shut behind her. "Jo, I want to talk to her."

"Well, she's not in the mood to talk with you." Josephine's normally friendly eyes were now harsh. "I can't believe you, Shannon. Cara has been worried about you all morning for being up last night and then this happens."

"I swear I didn't invite her to my room! Why won't anybody believe me?" Shannon growled in frustration.

"Because, we can all trust Cara with anything. If this is how strong she reacted, it can't be just an accident," Jo crossed her arm.

"I swear I never invited Crystal up there!"

"Shut up, Shannon!" Jo's voice barked. "You can say that all you want but until you can actually prove it, it means nothing." Shannon yanked his phone out, throwing it at her feet.

"Look through it. Not a single message from her. Not a single call. She's not even in my contacts. Tell me then how I'm supposed to contact her! Contact the front desk and have them access the phone records! When the Hell have I contacted her?" Shannon bellowed in the hall. "Goddamn it, Jo. I love her more than my own mother. Why would I do that to her?" Shannon's voice dropped and he sunk to his knees.

"Shannon," Jo paused. "I can't speak for Cara. You are going to have to give her some time. I'll try to make her listen to you. I don't know if she'll forgive you, but I'll get her to listen." Josephine took a heavy sigh and picked up Shannon's phone, double-checking what he claimed.

"How can I wait? I love her too much. I want her back with me. I don't know what to do." Shannon groaned. Jo knelt before him, placing his phone in his hand.

"You have to trust the fact that Cara loves you too. Give her a little space; the more you try, the worse it looks. Let her have a few days to herself and I'll try to give you a chance to talk to her." Jo patted his shoulder, trying to comfort him.

"Ok." He stood and walked away, dejection and shame in his frame. When he got back to his room, his anger refueled and he threw a vase at the wall. He shoved the bed off the frame and tossed the tables around, pitching chairs. When his energy was spent, he collapsed in the middle of the room and stared blankly at the ceiling. He knew he had left the door open but he ceased to care.

"SHANNON!" Matt yelled, looking into the room. He grabbed his friend off the floor and helped him up. "I know you're mad about Crystal and Cara but please don't kill yourself over it." Matt righted a chair and set his friend down in it.

"What does it matter, Matt?" he groaned. "Cara won't listen to me. I've lost her. What the hell do I care about myself?"

"But she cares about you!" Matt slapped his friend. "Cara will listen but right now she's angry and upset. Give her a day or two and she'll be back for you." Matt tried to assure Shannon but his friend shrugged it off.

"Give it a rest, Matt." Shannon stood and walked out. "I've lost my Cara forever." He walked down the stairs, lost in a daze and buried in the swarm of the misery.

"SHANNON!" Matt bellowed after him. He knew he should follow but his friend needed a real reason to come back. Shannon walked into the hotel bar and flopped down at the long, polished bar.

"JD shots. Keep 'em coming."

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**How could I do that? It's why I'm the evil one. Same time next week!**


	17. Drunken Confessions

**Sorry for not updating last week. I tried to upload this two days ago but I kept getting an error message. Spring break and all... anyway. Yes, I am that evil to do this to Shannon and Cara. It's no fun if it's all easy. Now, enjoy. I won't be cruel for very long.**

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"Cara, please try and calm down." Josephine attempted to soothe the poor girl.

"Shan-non bet-rayed me!" she sobbed frantically. "I thought he cared about me. I was just part of that stu-pid bet and he used me." Josephine wrapped her arms around Cara.

"He didn't betray you. He cares about you too much." Jo whispered.

"He only cares about me enough to get me into his bed!" Cara screamed.

"Cara!" Jo snapped. "Listen to me! You've been staying with Shannon for how long now? A month? Two months? And he's had every night to try! Do you think he would honestly wait that long to have sex with you. I heard about this bet; it didn't matter if you loved him or not, as long as you got nailed." Jo forced the poor girl to look at her. Cara shied away from it.

"Then explain why he and Crystal were having sex in our room!" she cried. Jo sighed and paced the room.

"Cara, it's impossible to try and be reasonable with you right now. Go for a walk sweetie and clear your head." Jo pinched the bridge of her nose. Cara stood and paused. "I'll get your things from Shannon's room in a minute. Just go out and calm yourself down."

Cara cried as she walked out, unsure if anything would be the same anymore. Shannon had been her first kiss, her first everything. She was going to always hold him close but she wished he had not betrayed her. She walked the block around the hotel about three times before she came back inside. The tears had stopped but it would still hurt. The elevator seemed to take an eternity getting her to the fifth floor. However, it had to stop on the second floor first. She cringed that anyone might see her so absolutely shattered. She flinched mightily when Shannon appeared in the doors and he was drunk. Shannon stumbled in and collapsed in the corner. As horrified as she was with what she saw this morning, she could not live with what he looked like now.

"Shannon," she gently cupped his cheek and turned his dull, sad eyes to hers. "Oh, Shannon." Cara tried to help him to stand but he was heavy and stumbled a lot. He stumbled heavily and pinned her to the wall. She panicked as he leaned close to her.

"Cara?" he slurred. "Are you here? Or am I hallucinating?" Shannon touched her cheek and she cringed. She pushed him off of her and stood away from him. "I'm just imagining it. You wouldn't touch me if this were real. Why does God hate me so much?"

"I don't know," she whispered.

"Dream or not, your voice is still beautiful. God, I could kill Crystal. I hate her so much. All I ever wanted was you, just to make you happy but I failed at that too. I'll fail at everything eventually, even life." Shannon smiled drunkenly and curled in the corner.

"Shannon, this isn't a dream. Get up," Cara tugged at his arm. He whined pitifully.

"Go away, dreamy-Cara. I know the real you doesn't love me. I wish she would though. Maybe, then she'd listen to me." Shannon wriggled his arm free. Cara crashed into the other side of the elevator as the door dinged on the fifth floor. She could have left him, just left him to whoever cared to take care of him. But she had to help him. She grabbed his arm determinedly and hauled him to his feet. He was heavy but she forced him to walk down the hall. He stumbled a lot and almost brought her down a few times. "Leave me alone; I don't want to live without my Care Bear."

Cara almost cried at how broken he was; he had shattered more than she had. She leaned him against the wall by his door and searched his pockets for the key. "Shannon, where's your key?" she asked. He shrugged and slid down the wall. She knelt beside him and ran her hands through her hair. "Shannon, please think. Where is your key?" she asked, reaching through his pockets again. He didn't answer. Cara sat back on her heels and felt something poke her ankle. In her own pocket, was the key to his room. She almost cried but quickly opened the door. Dragging a nearly unconscious Shannon into the room, she laid him on the bed and grabbed a trash can. She forced him to his side so he would not choke and almost left when he started talking again.

"You know why I feel so bad?" he asked. She almost thought he was talking to some invisible person. "Because, when Crystal started pumping at me, making me hard and started fucking me, I was thinking of Cara. I thought Cara; my sweet, innocent, little Care Bear wanted me so much to make the first move. Then when I heard her scream my name, saw Crystal on top of me, I thought I was in a nightmare. I saw her little face, so absolutely broken and scared, I knew it was worse. Because this was a nightmare there was no waking up from. And I lied to her last night. I told her my knee was hurting. I was worried about her again. I didn't want her getting seen by her dad. I wanted her to stay with me forever." Shannon started crying then and Cara had to turn back to him. She bound his hair back with a rubber band; she filled a glass with water and placed it with two aspirin from the bottle in his bag on the nightstand.

"I'm sorry, Shannon," she whispered and sat in a chair to look after him. She just remembered falling asleep as the red numbers showed a blinking 1:00.

* * *

**See? They still have potential. I can't making this easy. Sorry for the crude language on Shannon's part. But hey, he's drunk so I guess that explains it. **


	18. Sweet Words

Shannon stirred from a dreamless, restless sleep and immediately felt his stomach churn. A trash can was by his fingers, hanging off the bed and he immediately threw up. A hangover was pounding through his skull and he struggled to sit up. Shannon blinked to clear his eyes and they settled on a glass and aspirin waiting for him. Someone must have helped him out; he could not even remember how many shots he had before the bartender told him no more. He downed the aspirin and looked around the room. It was his alright but the person in the chair probably was not. Cara, curled up in the chair, looked exhausted. Her eyes were puffy and red like she had not stopped crying since she had seen him yesterday. But despite it, she still looked beautiful. He shakily stood and walked to her, hoping to apologize. He touched her shoulder and knew he probably looked horrible. But it meant little to know he could have Cara close to him.

"Cara?" he whispered. She started awake. The moment her chocolate eyes settled on him, she scrambled from the chair.

"Good. You're awake." She tried to appear like she was unconcerned.

"Did you help me?" he asked. She nodded minutely. "Why?"

"You may have broken my heart, but that doesn't make me heartless." She replied softly and walked to the door. Shannon grabbed her arm.

"Cara, please, let me explain. I don't ask for you to forgive me. I just want you to listen to me and decide for yourself." He pleaded. She turned back to him and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Fine. Go ahead," she said coldly.

"Cara, I swear. I never contacted Crystal or asked her to come to me. I never let her in. You saw how I treated her at Matt's party. I can't stand her or who she is. You can look through my phone, check everything you can think of and you won't find me ever talking to her." Shannon pleaded. Cara looked away from him and tried to ignore the passionate plea in his eyes. "If that means nothing to you, then let me say one more thing. When she was on top of me, all I was thinking of was you. I had thought that you loved me so much you wanted to take us further and made the first move. But then I heard your scream; that tore me up so badly that I thought I was in a nightmare. I saw you and knew it was worse because there was no waking up from this." He took her hand and softly ran his fingers over her small hand. She shook and roughly pulled her hand away. He let her walk out. Shannon crumpled to the floor and cried.

Cara shivered as his words echoed in her ears. No matter how far she walked, they still rang with sincerity. His drunken confession last night sounded almost like a feeble attempt to fool her but his heart was totally behind his words this morning. She never could deny him; he held her heart to close to his that she was stuck. Cara knocked on Jo's door and waited patiently.

"There you are," Jo gave a sigh of relief. "Where were you?" she asked.

"Nowhere." Cara's voice left little to be said and Jo let it go.

* * *

**I apologize for the shortness. This will end soon. Promise!**

**EW;)**


	19. Now What?

Weeks passed. Shannon never made an attempt to come after her; he would look at her in the hall, pained and guilty but he never tried to make her come back. They still talked when the writers forced them too but Shannon put more of him, almost hoping to woo her again on the camera. Cara was timid this night as well. Tonight, Shannon was supposed to try and kiss her on screen. She was going to turn away of course but it still did not make it easier on her. She sat in a dark blue t-shirt, jeans and tennis shoes on a crate by the scene area. So far, there was not even a new voicemail on her phone from her father. It was promising but she still did not want to even think about it.

"Alright, folks. Get set," the director called everyone together. She was supposed to be sitting on a crate waiting for Shannon and Jimmy to escort them to their match.

**Cara swung her legs idly, leaning back on the crate and humming a little tune under her breath. Shannon walked down the hall and a playful smile crossed his face. He ran up to her and caught his arms around her waist, playfully spinning her around. She gave a squeal of surprise and laughed as he set her down.**

"**Did I scare you?" He asked, breathing a little more heavily than he should have been. Cara shook her head, still smiling. "Good," he ran a hand boldly over her waist. Before, he only ever touched her shoulders, occasionally placing a hand on her back but he kept it innocent between them. "Ready for this match?" She nodded and his arm slid around her waist, pulling them closer. The tension thickened perceptibly and Cara almost stopped breathing. He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand and moved imperceptibly closer.**

"**I think the real question is, are you and Jimmy ready to be tag-team champions?" she asked, her voice a little breathy. He smirked and moved a little closer again. The crowds cheered loudly, sensing what was to come. He brushed aside a bang that fell in front of her eyes and leaned even closer; his lips were almost on hers. Cara turned away, her breath returning in a heavy gasp. He didn't move away, lightly brushing his lips over her now exposed neck. His hand ran along her side, moving with the utmost care. He backed away, unwinding his arm from her waist; Cara glanced at him from the corner of her eyes and she blushed heavily. He backed out of the shot entirely and Cara took a heavy breath, holding a hand over her hammering heart. Then, a look of inexplicable sadness crossed her face and the shot ended.**

"Nicely done, folks," the director complimented while the crew packed away the set. Cara hopped off the box and walked away, hoping to think for a moment before heading to the ring.

"Cara," Shannon called to her. She turned back and almost wished she had not. His face held the ultimate sadness. "I've tried waiting for you. I've prayed that you just needed some time to think but I can't live without you. Cara, please." He begged and took her small hands in his, holding them close and taking in the light scent of her perfume. The thought had occurred to her several times in the past week; she missed him so much, cuddling beside him at night and feeling like gods could strike at her and nothing could harm her while he was there. The tenderness with which he held her hands was the final crack to her defense.

"Shannon," she started, taking one hand out of his, to cup his cheek. "If you'll have me," she stepped closer and his face was confused before it settled to a relieved smile.

"Thank you," he wrapped his arms around her and with the care of handling a china doll, he kissed her. Cara almost melted into him; his touch was fragile, as if he was afraid to wake up and be stuck where they were before. His fingertip brushed over her cheek, feeling her skin before he was satisfied this was real. The kiss ended softly and he set her down, brushing back a curl. "Thank you," he repeated and held her close. They walked in peace to the curtain, staying close to each other, afraid to be parted and discover it was a dream.

"FINALLY!" Jimmy cried out in success. He did a little dance and hugged both of them. "Finally, he will stop moping around and you can actually smile again!" he hugged them again and continued dancing around the area. Cara laughed lightly and Shannon just kept his arms around her. When it was time for their match, Cara stepped a little away from Shannon, adopting the roles their characters had taken. She linked arms with both of them and walked to the ring with a smile.

"**And being accompanied to the ring by Cara, Shannon Moore and Jimmy Wang Yang!" the ring announcer introduced them while the crowd cheered enthusiastically. Shannon stopped at the ring steps, taking Cara's hand, kissing the back of it and climbing into the ring with a wink and a smile. Cara flushed heatedly but cradled her hand against her chest. The crowds cheered excitedly. John Morrison and the Miz came down the ramp with sneers and Cara retreated around the ring, staying well out of the way. John grabbed a mic and glanced between Cara and Shannon.**

"**You know, doll, I can see why you might go after this reject. And humility kind of suits you. What? Didn't think you were good enough to come to me?" he laughed and winked at Cara. Her fair face darkened with anger. "Ooh, she's mad. Well, come on, Cara. Show me how mad you can get!" he taunted her and Cara climbed the steps with sure feet. Shannon tried to stop her, but she pushed him away. She looked up into John's eyes, meeting his self-confident smirk with a scowl. Her hand clenched tightly at her side and she belted him, closed-handed and full force in the mouth. John stumbled as Cara turned back and stormed across the ring. Shannon helped her through the ropes and the crowds cheered enthusiastically for her. Mike and John both scowled and the match began. Shannon let Jimmy go first, simmering on his anger. The writers had written that line on purpose to make him more defensive; they were provoking him to protect Cara. But they never counted on Cara changing the script. She was supposed to slap him but with the look of John's jaw, he was glad she defied it. Afterwards, he was supposed to kiss her knuckles to bring them closer to their first on-screen kiss.**

**He knew the outcome: John and Mike would win by hitting Jimmy with a chair and escaping with the titles. The match went smoothly. When the bell rang, he climbed into the ring to beat at John and Mike before they could run. **

**Cara climbed into the ring as Mike and John retreated up the ramp. She helped Jimmy stand up and Shannon helped support his friend. They knew Jimmy was barely hurt but he had to appear hurt for the crowd. They got him close to the ropes when the lights dimmed to almost nothing. They all looked around, confused; this wasn't in the script at all.**

"Cara," a raspy voice echoed over the speakers. She froze; she knew that voice all too well. "Cara," it came again.

"No, he couldn't." she whispered. Jimmy started to stand up; Shannon touched her shoulder as the pure terror came into her face.

"Cara? Talk to me, what's going on?" Shannon asked. He had never seen her so paralyzed before. She was scared stiff.

"Cara Frost," the voice rasped again.

"NO! He can't!" she screamed. Cara fled, running up the ramp.

* * *

**Hello! I purposely made this shorter just because this was a better stopping point. And because this is too fun. They are back yes but now what?**

**EW;)**

**QK (it's a little sideways ninja!)**


	20. Terror and Confessions

"Cara, stop!" Shannon yelled. He helped Jimmy from the ring and they hurriedly followed their terrified friend up the ramp. He set Jimmy on a chair near the curtain and took off after Cara. He found her in a hallway, almost at the garage before he grabbed her. "Cara, stop. Listen to my voice. Listen to me. Calm down. Breathe, breathe in, breathe out."

"He can't do this! He can't touch me. Keep him away!" Cara screamed as the terror continued to set in.

"No, Cara. Calm down. Sh," he whispered into her ear. She collapsed in his arms. Shannon saw a camera crew taping them but he couldn't stop himself. "Sh, angel, stop; please, calm down. Listen to my voice. Don't listen to anything else but me." He ordered.

"God, Shannon, don't let him hurt me again." She whimpered. "Don't let my father hurt me again."

"Cara, sh; listen to me. Don't listen to anything else but me." He repeated the words that he established as her cathartic relief. She wasn't calming down, and her breathing was becoming erratic. He pulled her up and forced a kiss to her lips. There were cheers from the crowds but Shannon could care less. He soothed her lips, kissing her fear away. His hands supported her back and sweetly rubbed her spine. She whimpered as his lips stroked hers. He lifted her onto his lap and kept the kiss going. He dragged his tongue across her lips and her mouth opened under his ardent caresses. He swept his tongue into her mouth and lovingly explored her mouth. Cara slowly calmed down, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He pulled away slowly, softly nipping her lips. "Cara," he whispered. She trembled in his arms and he lifted her to her feet.

"Shannon," she cried. The tears still flowed down her face but the terror in her was fading. He softly kissed her again, keeping his hands around her.

"Don't listen to anything but me," he whispered comfortingly in her ear. "No more fear. Let it pass." Cara was soon relaxed in his arms. "Come on, we're leaving." He pulled her with him to their locker room. He grabbed everything of theirs and led her to the car. She was shaking slightly but it was the aftershocks of the terror still passing through her. He drove her to the hotel, and took her to his room.

"Shannon, I don't want to stay." She begged.

"We'll leave in the morning for Whispering Pines." He wrapped her in his embrace and carried her to the bed, laying beside her and kissing her forehead.

"I'm scared. I don't want to be afraid of him." She shook. He wrapped her closer and he felt pure fear seeping into his heart.

"I know, Care Bear." He kissed her cheek, trying to stop the shivers. "Please, don't be scared. He won't touch you. He will never touch you." Shannon slid his hand low around her and nuzzled her cheek. Cara still shivered and shook in his arms, totally defenseless. A knock on the door almost made Cara scream but Shannon covered her mouth with his hand. Her screams scared him more than anything. It scared him to see someone so absolutely petrified. Shannon climbed quietly out of bed, shushing her little cries of fear. He looked through the spy hole, examining the visitor. He took a heavy breath and opened the door. Jo stepped in and immediately ran to Cara. Cara's tears began anew as Josephine held her.

"Cara, I'm so sorry. This is exactly what I was afraid of. I'm going to find out how this happened. I told those dumb writers not to pull this kind of stunt with you." Jo apologized.

"This isn't a stunt, Jo." Cara sobbed. "It's real. He found me." Cara cried miserably.

"Oh, sweetheart." Jo kissed her forehead and cradled her tightly. "This should never have happened. I'll call the police, find out who did that. I pray that you are wrong, Cara. That they wanted real fear from you and surprised you like that." Jo prayed quietly. Shannon stood by the door, unsure how to help.

"I'm so scared. Please, I don't want to suffer through this." Cara shivered and cried.

"Cara, you've gained some amazingly protective friends. Mark and Dave are already asking around, finding out who did it. Don't be afraid. Those men would die to protect you."

"But that's the problem: I don't want them to stand in the way. I want to end this, to stop being afraid of my own shadow, to stop wondering when the next message comes. I don't want them to be hurt."

"Cara," Shannon stepped in, gently pulling her onto his lap. "We can't help it. We all care so much about you; we're afraid to see you scared. I hate seeing you without a smile, seeing you so scared." Shannon kissed her temple, cradling her tightly.

"Shannon," she sobbed.

"That sound is the one thing I cannot stand to hear—your beautiful voice so absolutely scared and full of despair." He rested his forehead against her temple. "I can't stand having you scared; it kills me."

"This is not your burden." She protested.

"It is all of our burdens. We all love you, Cara." Josephine interjected. We can't stand seeing you like this because it tears us apart. Dave thinks of you like his own child, just as I do. He looks over you like there is nothing more important. Mark protects you as if you were made of pure diamonds and as fragile as a glass vase." Josephine touched her hand. "You may think you don't mean much to others but you mean so much to us. It's nothing you do, or say. It's just who you are; you draw people to you to care about you." Cara looked so tiny and forlorn, lost in a sea without a chart, without a ship.

"Cara," Shannon whispered. "I—" he broke off, unable to continue. "You probably will never know how much I care about you, how much I want to hold you close to me." He took in the light scent of her perfume. "You have no idea how much it makes my heart soar to see you smile, to see you happy for the most silly of reasons." He took her small hand and lightly laid it on his chest. "And you don't know how much it hurts to see you like this." Josephine stood, leaving on the murmured pretense of a call. He kissed her cheek softly, then her knuckles, then her palm, her wrist, her forearm, the pale bend of her elbow, and finally her lips.

"I just wish you never had to bear this. I cannot let you be hurt. I cannot bear to see you hurt because of me. When you and Cr—" her voice paused and resumed after a moment. "When I found you drunk, I couldn't leave you. I can't bear to see you hurt because of me. Perhaps if I wasn't with you, you might be happier, to not have to see me so absolutely broken." She whispered quietly.

"Cara, I wouldn't have this any other way. I love seeing you in the morning, sleepy and so adorable. I like to see you curl up beside me, so warm and happy. I can't bear the thought now of having you elsewhere. I crave having you near me, being able to just kiss you. You're so different than any other girl I've met; you aren't after that perfect guy just so you can have him. You hardly want me sometimes. You are just you, that sweet, caring, beautiful person you are that is there for me to be with. I love being able to kiss you, and not feel like I have to take you to bed to make you happy. I love being able to tease you, to make you laugh just to see that smile on your face. And it tears me apart to know you aren't happy, because of me or not." He kissed her lips again, drawing a careful moan from her throat.

"But you should not have to face my problems, my flaws, and my past with me." She whispered.

"Cara, that is why I'm here. Remember you are the most treasured person in my life; THIS is why I am here. I can't bear leaving you, letting you face the devil himself on your own." Shannon protested, kissing her again.

"Why?" she asked. "Why do you bother with me?" her voice gained a little more strength. He sighed and nuzzled her cheek.

"Honestly?" he asked. She nodded softly. "When I first saw you, I mean for the first real time, you looked so pretty: a wallflower ashamed to be caught in the light of someone's gaze. I just thought you were so beautiful and then I saw your eyes—gorgeous chocolate with the hint of some sweet filling. I mean, at first, I thought you were beyond me. You wouldn't want someone. Then over the months, I just kind of watched you, curious. I wanted to see you smile, just once in a way that lit your eyes. I saw you deliver scripts to the locker room; you kept your head down when you have such pretty eyes. Your smiles were never genuine, like you really enjoyed what you were doing. Then the bet came around, and I thought: how sick are they to not see someone s beautiful that deserves so much more than a lousy lay." He stopped to kiss her cheek. "Then Jamie stopped you, and I couldn't let you be touched. I guessed you wouldn't care so much about me; you were so scared of me, like I was one of them. Just seeing you smile in that office though, made me determined. You looked so happy, happy at me because I'm just an idiot sometimes. After that, I just wanted to see you happy, to see a smile light up your face even if I was unhappy because I could not hold you close.

"I wondered, how can she be so miserable, yet be so beautiful. I just wanted to always make you smile. I kind of guessed you didn't have a boyfriend. I wanted to be that for you. Making you smile and be happy was all I cared about. To see you laugh was enough for me." He kissed her cheek and brushed his lips along her jaw. "After a while, I didn't just want to make you smile. I wanted to bring happiness, to bring you something that brings you utter joy. I wanted to be able to kiss you and make you happy, knowing you have someone for you. I wanted to keep you, to keep you safe and happy." His lips paused at her ear, his breath blowing gently over her skin. "I became selfish, wanting to hold you close and kiss you all the time. I just wanted to make you feel like there is nothing bad for you, only the fact that I'm here. I wanted to hold you close, feel your warm skin, smell the sweetness of your hair, hear your sweet voice in my ear, and taste the beauty of your lips and skin." She shivered, her body heated and trembling. His breath was warmly flowing over her ear. "I never wanted anything you weren't ready for, but I wanted to always have you. This, holding you and making you feel better, was all I ever wanted to do." His tongue flicked her earlobe. She trembled and her head fell back. He kissed her neck, sliding his hands over her waist. "This is the only thing I wanted for you. To make you feel like someone wants you for the best." His tongue slid along her collarbone, until he could sweetly suckle the hollow of her throat. Her moan encouraged him. He slid his tongue over her throat, up to her chin; her tremors were stronger and had nothing to do with the frightful warning.

Shannon kissed along her jaw, claiming her sweet skin. His hand grabbed her waist, holding her trembling shape to him. Her smaller hand touched his, grasping him with trust in her fingers. He slid his hand tighter around her waist, kissing her cheek and lowering her to the bed. He kissed her eyelids, her cheekbones, her soft lips.

"Shannon," her voice was breathy and lost. He paused and curled up beside her.

"All I've ever wanted was to see you happy." He whispered and brushed her loose curls away. She opened her eyes and looked at him, timidly touching his cheek.

"I'm hardly worthy of such devotion. But I cannot be more thankful for the gift I've been given." She smiled slightly though it was obviously forced. He kissed her hand, lightly applying affection to the end of each digit and to each and every knuckle, kissing and licking the small joints.

"You are my gift, Cara." He whispered too low for her to hear. Her chocolate eyes watched him lather her fingertips with affection, lining the inside of her fingers with kisses to claim her palm. He kissed the inside of her wrist, feeling the faint pulse beneath her skin. "You are worth every moment of my time and every ounce of my energy." He led her arm over his shoulder, kissing her skin and making her pale skin flush heatedly.

"Shannon," her tiny voice whispered in a light command. His dark eyes met hers, waiting patiently for her orders. "Kiss me. Make me feel safe in your arms." She whispered softly, almost in a plea rather than an order. He complied with her, kissing her and tracing every little subtle curve of her mouth. He drew out the moans from her mouth, alerting her to the care he took with her. Shannon slid his hands down her sides, lightly fondling the subtle curves in her shape. He broke away from her mouth, kissing along her cheek, down her neck and across her shoulder. "Shannon," she gasped, pushing him on. Cara wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close and warm against her. They eventually slept, with warmth creating a shield from the cruelty of the world.

* * *

**Whew! Almost forgot to post this week. Lots of stuff is happening and the end of the semester is closing in. I'll be really busy but I'll do my best to keep updating. Anyway, review if it suits you!**

**EW;)**


	21. Confrontations

"I don't know if I can do this," Cara whimpered. Shannon held onto her shoulders and tried to reassure her.

"You can, Cara. Just stay close to me." He spoke softly. At the appropriate time, they walked out to his music and Cara couldn't have been more scared.

**Shannon came down the ramp with a mic and fury in his step. He held Cara's hand, holding her close to him, though he was obviously trying not to scare her. It had been two weeks since they had appeared on Smackdown and though the crowd cheered for the couple, none were excited to know what had scared Cara. He climbed into the ring and helped her through the ropes, wrapping his arm low around her waist. Shannon stood in the middle of the ring with nobody but Cara.**

"**Now, two weeks ago, somebody thought it would be funny to play a little prank. Somebody thought it would be funny to scare a beautiful woman." His arm visibly tightened around her. "Right now, I want to know who did it. I want the sneaky son of a bitch who thinks its fun to scare women to come out right now and explain himself." Shannon growled. Nobody approached; no music. "Alright then, if nobody wants to man up and take responsibility for it, I'll find out myself." He started to climb out of the ring when the lights dimmed again and Cara screamed.**

"**No need to get your panties in a twist, Shannon Moore." A cruel voice called.**

"**Show yourself!" Shannon shouted. The lights resumed their brightness and a man stood at the base of the ramp. Cara almost screamed again.**

"**No need to be testy either." He smiled pleasantly. "You see, Mr. Moore. I'm a business man and I put quite an investment in certain, shall we say areas. And I made quite a fortune with the help of a very specific person. My little girl, my daughter, Cara." Cara edged away, frightened and almost ready to run. "But then, something happened. Didn't it, Cara? My little girl ran away, left me with almost nothing. So it took some work and I called in a few favors to find you. But it was all for not; you hid yourself well. And then, I'm scrolling through the TV channels a few weeks ago, and lo and behold, there is my Cara, with the WWE."**

"**That's not the story I've heard from multiple sources," Shannon growled. "And I wouldn't believe you even if I hadn't heard it."**

"**Oh, Mr. Moore. You think I'm cruel to my daughter, don't you? You think I would hurt her if I got the chance?" He laughed. "You see, she's the last little piece of my wife I have left. Why would I want to get rid of her?"**

"**Shannon," Cara whispered. His arms wrapped tightly around her. "Please," she begged.**

"**I'm a decent man, Shannon. I've just been tossed a bit of a bad hand. I lost my wife and now my daughter. You wouldn't want that to happen to you, would you?"**

"**Of course not," Shannon replied.**

"**Then why don't we all leave this public spectacle behind and we can talk in private. Robert Frost is a man of his word." He smiled. Shannon watched him for a moment.**

"**No." his response rang with finality.**

"**You're being unreasonable. My beloved little daughter, my sweet Cara, is all I have left. And you're going to keep her from me?"**

"**Your beloved daughter? Who are you trying to convince, me or yourself?" Shannon barked. "I can easily say I have shown more love to Cara in the past two months than you have shown her in seventeen years."**

"**I gave you the chance for us to be reasonable about his matter. Now, I'm going to take back what's mine and show you what happens when you cross me!" Robert spoke harshly and Cara visibly flinched. Robert slid into the ring and Cara almost screamed again.**

"**You want her?" Shannon taunted. "Take her from me if you really think she's worth the broken bones." He threw down the mic and tackled Robert Frost to the mat. The punches he threw were not held back and were not in any way merciful. They rolled out of the ring, still fighting viciously. Security guards and Superstars stormed the ramp and Cara slid out of the ring, crying weakly.**

"**SHANNON!" she almost fell to her knees as they fought. Surprisingly, it was the superstars holding back the guards. The Undertaker, tall and imposing, circled the ring of fighters and gently took Cara's shoulder. Robert Frost saw him and broke away from Shannon, through the ring of superstars and swung at the taller man. The Undertaker easily caught the punch and began tightening his hold on the man's fist.**

"**Stay away from her." His dark voice growled. Shannon pushed his way through, intent on continuing the fight. But the Undertaker hauled the man up and tossed him over the barricade to the cold concrete outside. Shannon grabbed a mic and held onto Cara's shoulder.**

"**You want her so bad, Robert Frost? Then you're going to have to fight me for her! In this ring, no holds barred until the last man standing!" His demand was firm and Robert Frost stood shakily, clutching an injured hand. He nodded and slipped away into the crowd.**

"**No," Cara begged. "Shannon don't!" she insisted. He shook his head, ignoring her weak pleas. She clung to his arm, crying fully now. He pulled her along, surrounded by superstars and they all disappeared behind the curtain.**

Shannon pulled Cara along, ignoring her cries for him to take back the challenge. The other superstars guarded them to the stage office. It was strange to see them all totally together about protecting them. Josephine wrapped her arms around Cara in the stage office, holding her while she cried. Shannon leaned against the wall and nursed his sore jaw. For a long time, he stood there, nursing the first of the battle wounds he had earned. Cara eventually stopped crying and shaking, only sitting in a chair as if all the emotions had been sucked out of her. Josephine did not say a word, only emoting comfort and support.

"Cara! Shannon! Your scene's up!" a stage hand barked. Cara stood and walked out, not waiting for Shannon. He caught her and hugged her tightly before the scene began. They separated, and Cara started walking into the shot.

**Cara walked down the hall with red eyes and a look of despair on her face. Shannon ran up to her and grabbed her arm.**

"**Cara, trust me on this!" he said.**

"**NO! Shannon, I can't let you do this." Her voice was cracking. "This is not your fight! This is my mistake! I don't want you getting in the way, where you can get hurt."**

"**Too bad, Care Bear. I'm not taking back my challenge. If he really wants you that bad, he's going to pry you from my dead hands first." Shannon spoke harshly.**

"**NO!" she cried and turned away from him. "I don't want you anywhere near him. You don't know him like I do!"**

"**Then tell me, Cara!" he shouted. "What is it about your father that scares you?" She turned and kissed him urgently. The crowds cheered as tears poured down her face.**

"**This is a man you tell your kids to stay away from, to avoid when you see him on the street. How do you think I feel when this is my own father?" Cara spoke against his lips.**

"**I won't let him hurt you."**

"**It doesn't matter about me, Shannon! That's the point! I've been hurt so much that new pain is not going to matter! But I won't let him hurt you! I mean, how can I let you do this, fight my battle, against a man that people fear?" She laid her head on his chest. "I don't want you to fight him. He won't be alone; he'll have friends, he'll have people to take me away win or lose." She shivered as his hands ran over her back.**

"**Do you really think I'm going to let that bother me? I made you a promise to protect you! All I've ever wanted since I first saw you was to make you happy. And now that I have a chance to make sure you can be happy forever, you won't let me?" Shannon barked harshly at her. "I don't think so, Care Bear. I'm taking care of him once and for all. I'm not going to let him torment you because he's loose."**

"**It's not about me, Shannon!" She banged her small fist on his shoulder. "This is never about me! You could be hurt here, seriously. This is not a hurt you go into surgery and are back in the ring in six months. I mean a hurt that you will never recover from. I can't live with the thought that you may be hurt fighting for me."**

"**Then call me crazy," he whispered. "Because I'm not giving up." His voice held finality to it that she could not argue with. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips.**

Cara pulled away from him at the end. This was a horrible reality to her and the writers were turning it into a faked story. Shannon wrapped his arms around her and kissed her shoulder.

"I don't want you to do it." She whispered.

"You didn't want to go onscreen either, Care Bear," he pointed out. "In this business, just because you don't want it, doesn't mean it won't happen. You are at the mercy of a higher power that you either obey or leave."

"But this isn't a story, Shannon!" She turned on him with angered eyes. "This may be a story to you but to me this is a harsh reality! My father, the man who destroyed me and made me this hollow shell I am, is here and the person that I care about most in this world is the only one standing between us. This is a man who delights in causing pain because it lessens his own! Did you know that when I was five years old, he had seventeen strippers and hookers at our house? Seventeen women running around half-naked for him and his friends? My first exposure to sex was at five years old seeing a stripper screw my father. And he let me see it." She admitted. The tears cascading down her face while she pushed her hair back. "You are coming in at the middle of the war. This has been my war since I left him." She turned away and tried to stop the hysterical screams from coming out. "I have had to see more therapists than I care to mention because of what I've seen. Every day that I was there, a hooker was at one point in my house. My father let whores smack me around when I got in their way. I can remember when I sat at the kitchen table, doing homework and having my father fall across the table, and start screwing a dumb stripper right in front of me. If they didn't like it, he smacked them around just like me. I delivered his drugs. I suffered through his abuse because I was so naïve to think that this was not what life had planned for me. And yet, I'm the one left with the scars. I'm the one who is broken beyond repair and scared of the fact that there is no happiness for me. The things I might have hoped for—a husband, a child—are all gone for me. Shannon, you scare me most of all. Only my father can scare me more than you do.

"Because this is my reality. I'm just a broken person that's been tossed aside because this is what fate ordained I had to have. I'm the one left in the gutter because of this life that I've been given. It's impossible for me to believe this is what life and God had for me. Did He give all the best lives to everyone else and decided to give me the life of a drug-dealer's daughter?" Cara shook uncontrollably. "To you, this is a fight to be fought, an enemy to defeat. To me, this is a reality, I can't escape from. This is not my nightmare, its worse. This is the life I've been given." Shannon wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her small arms.

"Cara," he whispered. "I can't help that I scare you. But please believe me when I tell you that I don't want to leave you. The one thing I wanted to see was you happy. You may not like it Cara. But I'm fighting this war for you, to see you smile. I don't care what happens to me. I just want you to be happy." His voice was soft in her ear. Now a lot of Cara's little quirks made sense. She always seemed a little uneasy around him, especially when he didn't have a shirt on. But now it made him cautious. He would be more careful. "I never said you had to stay with me Cara. If you need to leave, just tell me and go to Jo's. I don't mind. I just don't want you feeling miserable because of me." He kissed her softly; it was quick, passionless kiss to not add to her intellectual thicket. Cara reclined into his arms; Shannon cradled her close to him and finally let her go, stepping back and smiling softly as he walked away. She shivered and almost followed him; yet, she shrank back and sat on a crate, hiding from his gaze. Mark stopped on his way to a match and touched her shoulder.

"It's alright, kid. He knows what he's doing." Cara shrank away from his touch. "Let him do this for you; he's got his head in the right place and his heart is with you."

"He doesn't have his head the right place." Cara looked up into his green eyes. "This is absolutely insane and he's doing this for nothing more than a whim."

"He may be a little punch-drunk sometimes but he knows what he's doing. Just listen to him. Let him do this because it's the only thing he wants for you." Mark patted her shoulder again and left for his match. Cara stayed still on the crate.

"Cara," Shannon's voice called to her. "Cara, I'm sorry but this is the only way I can see things." He paused and pushed back the loose curls of her hair. "I can't stand seeing you scared. I want to do this; I'm sorry if this isn't what you want."

"Why would I want you to get yourself hurt, Shannon?" she asked angrily. Do you think I want to see you fight? I'd rather have my father arrested and taken away before he fights you." Her voice softened. "Shannon, it kills me to think you are the one who has to fight this battle for me. And the fact that I couldn't because of everything I've seen."

"Cara," Shannon pulled her close to him, enough to wrap his arms around her shoulders. "I'd rather not fight but I know people like him. They don't care only as long as they get what they want. He wants you to hurt you, to make you miserable. I can't let that happen." He kissed her hair, running his hand down her back. Cara shivered and moved into his arms.

"Promise me one thing and I won't put up a fight anymore about this." She demanded. He nodded, caressing her cheek with his thumb. "Don't put your whole career on the line for this. Don't take the risk of permanently hurting yourself to beat him. Please, just don't end what you love most for me."

"I'd sacrifice the world if it made you happy. But if this is what will make you happy, alright. I'll defend myself for you," Shannon kissed her softly and held her closely. Cara nodded and he helped her off the crate. "Come on," he led her out towards the garage.

"Too easy, right?" a cocky voice made him pause. A woman's laugh floated from a partially open door.

"Way too easy. You should have seen her face; I mean, talk about priceless. And him, well he could have had a better reaction but it's amazing how good he feels." The female voice replied.

"Like I really want to know this. Just make sure to keep things up, make sure they stay apart for good. It's really sickening to watch them." The male voice interrupted. The woman sighed. Shannon pulled Cara away; something in his gut told him to burst into that room and find out who was talking but at the moment, Cara was his priority.

The hotel room was dark for most of the night. Cara had crawled into bed after changing into shorts and a large t-shirt and had barely moved since then. Shannon lay on top of the covers, keeping his shirt on and only lightly caressing her shoulder.

"I wish you had told me, or at least given me a hint," Shannon spoke suddenly. The quiet TV was forgotten as she looked at him.

"What do you mean?"

"I wish you told me that I scared you so much. I shouldn't add to your stress."

"It's alright, Shannon. I have to overcome my fears by facing them. It's the only way I'll ever get over what's happened."

"And me?"

"I don't want to be afraid of you." Her chocolate eyes met his and she ran her hand over his arm.

"I should have guessed. I can't believe I never saw how frightened you were of me. I mean, when I first had you sleep beside me, you only thought it would create gossip. I didn't know that it scared you so much." Shannon was voicing his thoughts now. "I just wish I had seen it to make this easier for you."

"It's not your fault. I'm just a little difficult." Cara tried to smile though the effort was hardly worth it. Shannon's phone rang on the nightstand behind him and Cara jumped, almost screaming. He shushed her, placing a light kiss to her forehead before turning to the infernal device.

"Hello?" he greeted.

"Shannon? It's Bautista. What floor are you on?" Dave's voice sounded angry and urgent.

"Fourth floor. Why?" Shannon glanced apprehensively at Cara.

"Get up to the sixth floor now and leave Cara behind." He barked. Shannon started to object but Dave cut him off. "Just get up here." Shannon agreed and stood, grabbing his shoes.

"What's wrong?" she asked, sitting up. Shannon held onto her shoulders and kissed her forehead again.

"I'm not sure. Dave just asked me to go up to the sixth floor. I'll be right back, ok? I'll take a key so just stay here and relax." He waited until she nodded and he walked out the door. The ride up the two floors seemed to take forever. Questions were buzzing in his head. Dave was standing in the hall waiting for him. "What's this about?"

"Remember the girl, who pretty much killed your relationship with Cara?" Shannon scowled and nodded. "Well, found out how she got in your room, and who got her there." Shannon's face darkened. Dave led him down the hall without another word. Mark was standing outside a room, the door propped open.

"Aren't you glad to have us, kid?" his smile was slightly shocking and Shannon grinned. "Come on, meet the person who tried to break you up," Mark kicked the door open more and Shannon walked in.

* * *

**I know, I know. I'm evil, blah blah blah. You didn't think I would just give it all away? Alright, this is your weekly dose of Frostbite! MWAHAHAHAHAHA! (it's hard to type an evil laugh.)**

**EW;)**


	22. Setting Things Right

"Aren't you glad to have us, kid?" Mark's smile was slightly shocking and Shannon grinned. "Come on, meet the person who tried to break you up," Mark kicked the door open more and Shannon walked in.

Crystal sat shivering in a chair, obviously frightened of the men that flanked Shannon. The other person just made his blood boil. He saw only red as he walked forward and slugged him right in the mouth hard and making a satisfying crunch as the jaw contorted under the blow.

"Don't hit him, Shannon. I was the one who came to him; blame me!" Crystal shrieked. Shannon turned on her with ice hard eyes.

"I already do. Now I'm blaming the bastard who got you in." Shannon laid another hard punch to the other side of his jaw. "How does that feel?" Shannon growled.

"Kiss my ass."

"I'm sure she's already done that," Shannon barked and punched him in the gut.

"Don't you want to know why, Shannon?" Dave reminded him. Shannon's eyes darkened and he grabbed the man's throat. "I'd start talking. He's pretty pissed with you."

"It was sickening to see you two together. Like watching some crappy chick flick only I couldn't shut it off. I was sick of seeing you act like you wanted anything more than a good fuck from her!" His voice was hard and Shannon punched him again and there was a more distinct crack as the jaw cracked. Shannon turned away, his hand throbbing and rage pulsing through his veins. Mark took his shoulder and carefully moved him to the door.

"Calm yourself, kid; we'll deal with this bastard." Shannon nodded and walked to the door.

"Nice knowing you, Adam." He waved almost good-humoredly over his shoulder. Shannon paced the hall for a while and once his anger was gone, he took the stairs back down to Cara. The fact that Adam Copeland had done it had made him angry but he was willing to save his anger. One week and he would finally end this fight. He came into the room and Cara was curled up in a chair, staring out the big sliding doors. She looked almost asleep. He carefully approached her, staying quiet and making only enough noise to let her know he was there. Cara shivered as he touched her shoulders gently.

"You're back. What was that about?" she asked.

"Dave had something to show me." He left it at that. She did not need more stress at the moment.

"What?" she persisted.

"Don't worry about it, Care Bear. It's fine." He rubbed her arm. Cara gently touched his hand and he tried to not flinch; his knuckles were sore.

"Then where did you get the blood on your knuckles?" she held his hand still. He grimaced behind her. "Shannon, please. I can take it. Just don't hide things from me." She stood and looked into his eyes.

"Dave and Mark found out who let Crystal into our room." He stated, watching her face. She flinched, obviously seeing the image that had scared her to death. "Dave called me up to let my anger out."

"Who?" she cradled his sore hand against her chest, running her fingers gently over it.

"Adam Copeland." He stated. Her recoil was less than what he expected. Her eyes blanked for a moment as she thought and finally stepped further into his arms.

"Alright." She whispered. A shaky breath brushed his shirt.

"Alright? You aren't like mad or anything?" he asked. This lack of a reaction seemed so out of place for her.

"There's nothing I can do." She leaned against his chest. Shannon placed his hands on her shoulders but jumped when he felt her hands pushing up his shirt. She stepped back to pull his shirt off. He helped her, tossing it away. Cara's small, petite hands ran over his bare chest, tracing his muscles.

"Cara?" he gasped but stopped. She was placing light kisses to his chest, innocent but hardly innocent at the same time. Her hands ran over his abs, carefully and slowly. He groaned though he knew he should not encourage her.

"Shannon," she breathed. Her hands became more aggressive, pushing him towards the bed. Shannon stopped her the minute his knees hit the mattress.

"Cara, stop." He gently pushed her away. She stared at him; her eyes were wide. "This isn't the right thing for us now." He brushed a loose curl from her eyes.

"Don't you want this?" she asked. Her tone sounded hurt and he could not understand why.

"More than you might know, Care Bear. God knows I would love to let this play out but I can't. You don't want this." He stopped her hands from reaching towards his chest again. "Stop. You don't have to sleep with me to get what you want."

"But—" Cara cut off as he looked at her. He cupped her chin to make her continue. "She made you so happy. I never see that look on your face when you're with me." He didn't have to ask to know who she meant. He kissed her lips quickly.

"Cara, what she did was not what I wanted. I'm happy with you, really. Just because I'm not getting laid doesn't mean I'm not happy and I won't ask that of you." She backed away, embarrassed. Shannon stepped away as well, giving her the space she needed. After a moment, she fled into the bathroom and he heard the shower turn on. Even over the pounding water, he still heard her sobs. "I love you more than you know but I won't take what belongs to the right guy." He whispered. He changed into a pair of flannel pants and climbed into bed, shutting out the light and trying to ignore the lingering feel of her soft lips on his chest.

* * *

**Hello! So that's some more. We are approaching the end, I am sorry to report. I can guarantee you at least three more chapters. So...**

**enjoy this chapter and until next week,**

**EW;)**


	23. Finally

Shannon paced the gorilla position. Cara looked frightened to death and the growing dark circles under her eyes only made him more intensified. A week of training and even fighting against Mark and Dave had prepared him for this: the final battle. There would be no mercy from him tonight. Someone said that a security guard was escorting Robert Frost through the back and down the sides of the ramp to prevent any skirmishes.

"Shannon?" Cara whispered for his attention. He turned and gently touched her shoulder. She stood on her tip-toes and kissed him quickly. "Please, be careful." He nodded. At that moment his music rang and he walked out, intense with Cara on his heels.

"**This following contest is a last man standing match where the winner is decided when one man fails to reach his feet by the referee's ten count. Introducing first, from Whispering Pines, North Carolina, being accompanied by Cara, Shannon Moore!" The ring announcer introduced him. Shannon led Cara around the ring, keeping himself between them. He sat her in a chair by the announcers and slightly smiled when Michael Cole invited her to sit between them. He slid into the ring and popped his jaw. This was it. Robert Frost came down the side of the ramp with a security guard and a scowl. His fists were taped and he wore a black t-shirt with jeans and boots. There was no announcement for him; even if there was, the crowd's jeers and boos completely drowned it out. This was it.**

**When the bell rang, the calm intensity that had restrained him for the past week was gone. His punches were hard and closed-fisted. Robert stumbled and it almost was not a fight. He almost guessed that he was high. Shannon tackled him to the mat, keeping him down with a strong right to the jaw. This would not be just a fist fight. He slid out of the ring and grabbed a chair. Cara's face, from what he saw, blanched.**

**Shannon slid into the ring and raised the chair high. The crack that echoed in the arena made almost everyone wince. Robert stood, stumbling from the shot across his back. Apparently, being high had an advantage in a fight. Robert yanked the chair violently from his hand and swung it at his head. All sense and reason left them both. It was not a fight; it was a brawl, violent and malicious.**

**Cara could not bear to watch after a few moments. It was too painful. It hurt to watch Shannon put his body on the line, for her. Michael Cole was trying to comment on the match but only succeeded in pointing out the severity of the damage being inflicted. She sat in the chair beside him, crying quietly and trying not to listen to the horrible sounds coming only a few feet away. She only looked up when the crowd began to count with the referee as one of the men fell. Her father was down; Shannon leaned on the ropes. As the ten counts were reached, Shannon collapsed into the middle of the ring. She bolted from the announcer's table.**

Cara climbed into the ring the moment the bell was rung. Shannon was almost unconscious in the middle of the ring. She cradled his head in her lap as medics took her father away. She glared at him but nothing could hurt her now; well, almost nothing. Shannon was barely moving and she lightly brushed his hair away from his face. A medic started to inspect him but she refused to leave his side. He stirred slowly; clutching his ribs, he started to sit up. The medic looked at him for a few minutes and pronounced he would be alright. She hugged him tightly but there was no smile for his victory. Cara helped him from the ring and up the ramp. He stumbled heavily through the hall, supported only by Cara. She ended up sitting him on a chair, forcing him down when he tried to stand again.

"Shannon, please. Don't. Rest for a minute; you just took a beating." She brushed his hair back and looked into his eyes.

"I beat him, right?" he asked, dazed. Cara smiled and nodded.

"Yes, you did." She kissed his forehead. "Now, promise me to stay here while I get you some ice?" she begged. He nodded stiffly. "Thank you. I'll be back in a moment." She hurried to the trainer's office and found an ice pack. When she returned to Shannon, he was trying to stand again. "Oh no you don't; Sit down, Shannon Brian Moore." She ordered, forcing him back down and placing the ice pack on his neck. "You're in no condition to move at the moment. Sit still and just relax for a moment."

"I'm not going to rest until I know he will never hurt you again." He replied, touching her cheek.

"He won't." Josephine's voice interrupted. They saw the elderly woman standing only a few feet away with Mark Calloway behind her.

"What are you talking about, Jo?" Shannon demanded.

"The police arrested Robert Frost only a few minutes ago. He's currently on his way to the station to be booked and in the morning, he's on his way to Sing-Sing." Josephine reported smugly. Cara almost fell back with her jaw hanging open when she heard it. Shannon held onto her shoulder. "Yes, Cara. He's gone forever." Cara almost cried, but it was smothered in a heated kiss from Shannon. His hands ran down her back, holding her small body to him. She couldn't hold back the moan he drew from her; his tongue slid past her lips and swiftly explored her mouth. Shannon pulled her up and sat her on his lap, caressing her body carefully. She pulled away after a moment, replacing the fallen icepack on the back of his neck.

"Rest, Shan." She told him, examining a darkening bruise on his shoulder. Shannon relaxed with Cara still on his lap. He hurt in places he didn't know existed but it felt good to finally stop Cara's fear. She was too beautiful to be scared all the time; and she deserved so much more than what she had. He let her rub his shoulders and he held the icepack to his neck. She climbed off his lap and stood behind him, massaging his shoulders. After a while, he stopped hurting as badly and could stand and walk without stumbling. "Take a shower and I'll take you to the hotel." She told him outside the locker room. He smiled, kissed her quickly and disappeared inside to a ruckus of congratulations. Cara smiled and sat on a chair nearby.

That was it. She loved him; head over heels, she was in love with Shannon Moore. The thought several weeks ago had scared her, but now, she found it hard to envision life without Shannon there. He had protected her, held her when she was scared, loved her when she was alone, and calmed her when she was faced with her fears. He made her feel safe when the entire world seemed full of threats; and yet, he never backed away and told her she was on her own. She sighed and waited patiently for that door to open and the love of her life to step out.

Shannon sighed as he showered. He knew Cara would be safe from now on; he loved her and he knew that now was the time to tell her. If he didn't she might walk away from him without a second thought. He couldn't have it; he had to have her. Shannon finished his shower and threw on jeans and a shirt. He really needed to tell Cara fast before she got the idea that she could go on her own. He stepped out and saw her sitting on a chair, staring absently at her nails. Since she got put in the storyline with him, she had started painting her nails; at the moment they were a light blue, matching her shirt. Her chocolate hair was starting to slip from its pins, falling around her face. He came closer and pulled one of the pins out. Three curls fell and she looked up, standing to meet him.

"Cara," he started but failed. Three little words seemed the hardest things to say.

"Shannon," she started. "You didn't have to do that, you know?" she told him. It had almost killed her when he accepted the fight.

"Yes, I did. Otherwise, you would never be safe and I can't live with you being scared." He pushed the loose curls away. She blushed. "Besides, I—" he gulped as those words stuck in his throat. She was staring at him with a faint look of realization; she had an idea what he wanted to say but she was waiting for him to say it. "I," he tried again but it was still sticking in his throat. He growled in frustration that those three little words wouldn't come out. "God Cara, I have to say it. I love you." He finally blurted. She stared at him for a moment and in that moment, he felt fear creeping into his heart that she didn't feel what he did.

"Shannon, I—" she stammered but tried again. "Shannon, I love you too." She replied with a blush filling her cheeks. He grabbed her and kissed her quickly. The hardest thing to say always had the best rewards. He spun her in a circle, dropping his bag and running his hands over her curves.

"You have no idea how happy you've made me." He told her excitedly. He couldn't stop smiling and he just wanted to kiss her again and again. She smiled happily and kissed him shortly.

"I think I get the idea. But you need to rest; that was a brutal fight and you need to get some sleep." She walked with him to the garage, holding his bag. He was still stiff but walking better than he did before. She held the door for him and doted on him like a servant. He had saved her and he deserved it for fighting the battle that should have been hers. When she opened the door to their room, he lifted her up and carried her to the bed. The thoughts in his head were nothing new but he felt he had to act on them.

"Cara, know that you can say no but I want you."

* * *

**I'm sorry for the cliffhanger! When I first wrote this scene it goes all the way in all the details. Question: is that what you guys want? I won't post stuff people don't want to read. If you want to read the whole scene as I wrote it, let me know. I felt uncomfortable with the scene as it stands now. Please let me know if you want the whole details or if you would like me to just skip to the next scene. **

**EW;)**


	24. A Little Loving

The thoughts in his head were nothing new but he felt he had to act on them.

"Cara, know that you can say no but I want you." He told her quickly. He was slightly worried she wouldn't want this but he had to at least try. She looked timid and scared but she moved closer to him. "I don't want you for sex or just because I could say that I had you. I want you because I love you." He tried to assure her that he wanted her for the best. "Care Bear, I don't say this at all to anybody. I love you and I want to make you happy." He hugged her and whispered into her ear. He was bracing himself for her rejection. It didn't mean she didn't love him; it meant she wasn't ready.

"Shannon," Cara started, swallowing several times to remove the lump in her throat. It was difficult to grasp the fact that Shannon wanted her like this. "I will admit that I am absolutely terrified of what you want." He turned away, feeling her rejection was absolute. "But," she turned his dark, enigmatic eyes to hers. "I will face that fear to know that I can be with you. I love you and I don't want to lose you." She stared at him and watched his face shift from abject misery, to confusion, to elation, and finally to love. He smirked lightly and his mouth kissed hers. Shannon dipped her slowly onto the bed, running his hands along her thighs. There was a nervous tension in her limbs but she had given her consent. He forged a warm trail from her lips, over her chin and down her throat; he kissed, licked, and nibbled his way over her skin. Shannon reached the top of her blouse and he pulled back. Cara's eyes were half-closed and she breathed heavily. His hands slid beneath her shirt, pushing it up over her stomach and her head. He tossed the shirt away and gazed on her body. Despite the faint scars that marred her skin, she was beautiful; soft, pale skin that seemed to glow in the faint light of the room. He ran his hands over her skin and placed light kisses down her body. She squirmed a little bit but the tiny moan she let out showed she was enjoying it. Shannon smirked.

His hands reached her jeans, tracing the firm muscles of her legs. For someone so small and delicate, Cara was well toned. His fingers unzipped her jeans and slid them slowly down her legs. He kissed the inside of her thighs and felt shudders pass through her with each kiss. He ran his hands over her smooth legs and moved slowly up her body to kiss her lips.

"Christ, Cara. You are so fucking beautiful." He groaned and kissed her hotly. She moaned and her arms wrapped around him. Shannon shed his shirt and looked down on her like a beast stalking his prey. She flushed and her hands lightly touched his abs; her nerves were getting rattled by his staring. Her fingers traced the words across his stomach and he shivered; her small fingers were alerting him to the sensations of her skin on his. She glanced up at him and his hands started to slide under her back. "Are you sure?" he asked, assuring his actions with her conscience. She nodded and she lifted her body off the bed slightly to give his hands better room. He groaned and his fingers quickly unhooked her bra, tossing it away quickly. He stared at her and his breath was caught in his throat. She was absolutely gorgeous; Shannon felt like he was looking on a goddess instead of a normal woman. But he would treasure her body just like she was a goddess. He kissed her lips and forged another hot trail down to her chest. He licked and suckled her breasts until she was writhing beneath him with untested pleasure. He smirked and his hands started their worship. He kissed and licked his way along her body; her soft body was perfect and he was treasuring the perfection of her little shape.

"Shannon!" she gasped as he nipped her breasts.

"You like that, Care Bear?" he grinned. She moaned her appreciation. "You'll like the rest, I guarantee it." He pulled back and shed his jeans. He needed her soft little body soon. "Ready?" he asked. She stared at him and the longer she thought, the more he felt her nerves tensing.

"Yes, before I can change my mind," she smiled and pulled him close for a kiss. He stroked her body warmly and slid his tongue past her lips. He pulled away her panties and almost ripped off his boxers. He moved her further onto his bed, spreading her legs slowly.

"I promise you won't regret it and I promise I'll be gentle." He smiled softly, pressing close to her core. He pushed her arms over her head and laced their fingers together. Cara nodded and he started pushing into her. She whimpered loudly, tightening her grip on his hands. "Sh, baby. It won't hurt for much longer." He pressed deeper, groaning at the extreme tightness of her body. He felt resistance and he stopped. "I'm sorry. This will hurt but not for long." She nodded and bit her lip. He pushed roughly past her barrier and she whimpered even louder. Tears sprang to her eyes; it hurt more than any hit she had received from her father. Shannon started to move again, pulling out and pushing back in. He growled loudly as he felt her tight walls squeezing him. "God, Cara, you feel so goddamn good." Cara slowly eased into his rhythm, rocking her hips with each thrust of his body.

"Mm, Shannon." She moaned loudly; he squeezed her backside as he pushed in again. "God, more. Shannon, please, more." She begged, arching her back. He smirked; his hands held her hips steady and he pushed roughly into her. Her moans echoed in his ears. "Yes," she gasped and her hips continued to meet his every stroke. His eyes closed as he pushed deeper and deeper into her tightening body. She pushed against him, unconsciously making him speed up. He rolled to his back, moving Cara to straddle him. He pushed into her still.

"Cara, ride me. I'm going to bring out your animal." He growled, grinding her hips against his. She moaned and braced her hands on his chest; she moved slowly at first but sped up as he growled for more. "Yes, baby. Yes, just like that."

"Mm, baby," she hissed as he hit a sensitive part of her body. "God, Shannon!" she almost screamed. He kissed her and dragged her underneath him again.

"It's ok, Care Bear. I know what you need." He groaned as he started pushing hard and fast into her. He thrust into her little body as she whimpered and her eyes glazed with passion. "Mm, that's my baby! You ready for it?" he growled. She moaned hotly and her nails dug into his back. One hand slid between them as he continued to thrust into her aching body; he rubbed her core softly, drawing another moan from her. Cara clutched the blankets on either side of her as he thrust with painful precision into her. "Come with me, baby! I know you're there!" he told her. "CARA!" he roared as they climaxed.

Cara lay, numbed and paralyzed, beside Shannon as she panted. She could still feel his hands stroking her, and his thick and huge member filling her over and over. Shannon panted next to her, his body glistening with sweat. He reached for her and pulled her closer as he moved to lie against the pillows. His chest heaved and she flushed as her body brushed against his.

"Damn, baby. For being so innocent a woman, you sure know you're way around the bedroom." Shannon teased, running his hands over her body. She blushed and hid against his chest. "You're a goddess, Cara. You're beautiful; I'm so glad you're with me." He kissed the top of her head and grabbed a blanket to cover them up.

* * *

**Okay, sorry if this is not quite good. This was my first attempt to write a love scene and that was a long time ago. When I asked for feedback on this, I didn't get anything. I got reviews but nobody answered my question. So, this shall prove whether someone is actually really reading what I write here: A man builds a house and all four sides face south. A bear walks past the house. What color is the bear?**

**We are close to the end. Two chapters left, mostly epilogue and final wrap up. **

**EW;)**


	25. The Next Morning

**Warning: Sexual stuff continues a little here. End Warning. **

* * *

**NEXT MORNING**

Matt and Jeff stood outside Shannon's door while they debated.

"You open it," Matt pointed at his little brother.

"No way. You open it." Jeff shook his head.

"You open it. You heard the noise last night; you go."

"You heard it too. I am not opening that door." Jeff shook his head again and started to walk away from the door. "If neither of us will open it, then neither of us is going to go in there." Matt nodded and they walked away from the door.

Shannon woke up and looked at Cara's sleeping shape. She was content in his arms, her naked body pressed up against him and he was happy with that. Her bare back pressed against his chest and his arm was slung over her and pressing against her full bust. He slid his hand slowly over her breasts and down her stomach. Just looking at her body made him hard. He softly nudged her legs apart and his fingers slid to her sensitive center. Shannon started with just caressing her center, sliding his fingers over it and teasing her sensitive nerves. She sighed pleasurably in her sleep and her fingers tightened on the blankets that covered them. Her chocolate eyes, still misty with sleep, were warm as she looked at him.

"Mm, Shannon," she sighed with desire lacing her voice.

"You like being touched there?" he asked, dragging his fingers across her body again. She nodded, biting her lip. Her hips pressed against his hand, pleading for more. "Want more, Care Bear?" he asked. She nodded again, shutting her eyes as his finger pressed into her. He pulled back to slide in again with an additional finger. Her back arched and she squirmed; he smirked and kissed her neck.

"Oh yes, Shannon." She moaned as his fingers began to quicken their pace. She bit her lip and tangled a hand in his hair. Shannon sighed as her body contracted and climaxed around his fingers. She shivered as he slid his hand over her body and back up; he laid Cara on her back, and licked his fingers. She moaned and pulled him in for a kiss. "Oh my God!" she hissed. Shannon smirked as he pushed her down; her body was going into sensory overload with his touch.

"You ain't seen nothing yet, Care Bear," he smirked, kissing down her body and nudging her legs apart again. She squirmed but he held her hips steady as his tongue met his target. A scream-like whimper filled the room and her hips almost broke out of his grip. "Sh, baby." He whispered and his tongue started again, stroking her center warmly. He was slower, taking his time with Cara's soft body. His tongue worked her body back up to a shattering climax, making her scream his name as she released into his mouth. He climbed back up her body, watching her pant and gasp. "Did you like that, Care Bear?" he asked, pushing away her sweaty curls.

"Fuck yes." She stared at him. He laughed.

"So you've graduated to swearing, huh?" he smirked, sliding his hand over her hip. Shannon smirked and dragged his thumb over her lips. She blushed. "Don't worry. It is an amazing turn on." Cara smiled and moved into his arms.

"Should we get dressed?" she asked. She seemed a little uncomfortable being naked with him.

"We don't really have to. But if you want to get some breakfast, we should. I don't think they'll let us in anywhere without clothes; and I don't want to the whole world to know what you look like without anything. I'd like to keep that as my little secret." He teased. Cara blushed and hid herself against his chest. "Come on, let's shower and get something to eat. I'm still hungry and hurting." She noticed there were a large number of bruises on his body now and he moved stiffly.

"Why don't you shower and I'll call room service? You look awful. I think you need a few days off." Cara suggested. He nodded and started to climb out of bed. Cara grabbed the sheet and wrapped it around her. Shannon grinned mischievously, reaching out and tugging on the sheet. He tore it from her and she blushed furiously. He walked to her, wrapping the sheet around her and pulling her against him.

"Breakfast can wait." He kissed her lips softly. He wrapped his arms around her sheet-clad body and carried her into the bathroom. Shannon turned on the water and slowly stripped away the sheet. "Mm," he moaned, looking at her beautiful body. He only saw a few scars and they just made her even sexier. Cara blushed from head to toe; her small hands wrung together before she touched his arms. She traced his tattoos, feeling him shiver at her delicate touch. When the room began to cloud with steam, Shannon grabbed her hands and pulled him under the hot water. She hissed lightly at the scalding water but he quickly made her forget about it. His hands washed her slowly, soothing her aching muscles. He had put her through a lot last night; he was surprised she was still moving around easily. But, she had been through worse than he might have known. When she was clean and quite relaxed, she repaid him, washing him and caressing his tired muscles. He groaned and pulled her close; his mouth was fervent and ardent in his exploration. He grabbed her and lifted her, wrapping her soft legs around his waist. He was quick, impatient, but loving as he pushed roughly into her. Her arms tightened around him and her head was thrown back. Cara's nails dug into his back and her moans filled his ears over the pounding water. He felt the heat of her body more than he did from the water.

"Mm, Shannon," she hissed lightly. Cara groaned.

"Cara, you feel so good," he whispered against her throat. She flushed warmly; her fingers trailed through his black and blonde hair. He bit her shoulder as they climaxed. Cara arched in his grip as her climax ripped through her. Her body relaxed and she smiled softly as those dark eyes looked over her. Shannon let her down and shut off the water. He wrapped the towel around her and dried her soft skin; their eyes stayed locked as he removed the excess water from each of them. Once they had dressed, Shannon flopped onto the messy bed. Cara called for room service and she smiled softly once she hung up; she sat next to him, pushing his loose hair away from his eyes. "I'm so tired. I hurt in places that I never knew existed." Cara laughed softly.

"Lay on your stomach," she told him softly. When he rolled over, Cara gently massaged his back. A gentle groan came from him; she gently caressed his muscles until he felt at ease under her small hands. Cara found a knot in his shoulder and she boldly straddled his lower back, giving her the perfect angle to ease the pain from his shoulder. Her small hands moved slowly and gently, easing the stress he felt. The bruises and pain were nothing under her wondrous hands.

"Mm, Care Bear, that feels so good," Shannon growled. Cara smiled and pressed hard on his back. He groaned and settled onto the bed. Her fingers spread over his skin and made him growl with her body on his back and her hands all over him. She paused after a moment and laid down on him, kissing his shoulders. Shannon let out a shaky breath.

"Did I hurt you?" she asked, getting off of him and sitting beside him.

"Hurt is not the right word for what you did to me," he rolled to his side and cupped her little cheek in his hand. She blushed and touched his wrist, inching into his hand. Cara saw the dark bruises on his arms and gently touched one on his bicep. He watched her touch him; her small hand tentatively touched his darkened arm and covered it gently.

"Shannon," she whispered. "I'm sorry. You should not have had to do that." He plucked her hand off his bicep and kissed her palm.

"Cara," he pulled her into his arms. "Yes, I did. He would have never left you alone; he would have haunted you until you died. I couldn't let you be so haunted." Shannon kissed her sweetly, sliding his hand down her body. "These bruises will heal, the pain will fade, but all that is worth it to know you never have to be afraid again." He kissed her again and held her tightly. "I love you, Cara. And I won't stop loving you and that means protecting you from those that mean you harm."

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**This is not the end. I wrote a short epilogue to kind of let you know how things work out. So thank you for all your reviews and your gracious comments.**

**EW;)**


	26. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE**

Shannon Moore ran in the front doors of the hospital to the reception desk. The nurse who sat behind it was a little startled as he practically collided with the desk.

"May I help you, sir?" she asked nervously.

"Cara, Cara Moore, where is she?" he breathed heavily. The nurse called another nurse from the doorway inside.

"Mr. Moore?" the second woman asked. He nodded. "Cara is upstairs but she's already in the operating room. I'm afraid you'll have to wait. I can take you upstairs where your friends are waiting." Shannon nodded and followed the nurse, into the elevator, and down the hall.

Jeff, Beth, Ashley, and Matt all stood in the hallway, pacing or sitting and tapping their feet. Jeff and Matt hugged him once he was among them. He sat on a chair and stared at the linoleum tile floor. He thought about all the moments that had led him to this point.

Three months after he had beaten Cara's father and made love to her, he had proposed. She accepted and six months later, they were married. He still remembered their wedding, almost a year ago now. It had been a beach wedding, and they had worked together to make it the most amazing wedding they had ever dreamed. He had worn a button-up shirt, the top buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He had persuaded Cara to make it a barefoot wedding, where nobody wore shoes. Cara had looked beautiful: a slim white, halter-top gown that flowed past her ankles. Lavender ribbons had been tied around her waist and in her hair. He remembered everything about that day like it had been yesterday. When he proposed, Cara insisted that they lay off on their love-making. Six months for him had been torture but that night he had lived out every fantasy any man could ever have. He couldn't take any more time off from Smackdown so he had left Cara at home after the wedding to redecorate and make herself at home in his house. After that she was with him constantly. That is, until she had gotten pregnant.

Now they were here, awaiting her delivery. Shannon remembered the day that he found out. He had come home and Cara was sitting on their bed, chewing nervously at her nails. He had snuck up behind her and she almost screamed, clutching protectively at her stomach.

*FLASHBACK*

"Cara? What's wrong, sweetie?" he asked, concerned. Cara slowly calmed down and came closer to him.

"It's nothing. You just scared me." She smiled but there was a glint in her eyes that she was hiding something from him. She never screamed anymore. He kissed her and laid her on the bed, intent to remember everything about her. Cara backed away from him, nerves apparent in her poise.

"Care Bear, something's wrong. What is it?" he knelt on the bed, watching her. Cara chewed at her nails again. "You never have to hide anything from me. Just tell me, I won't get mad." She glanced between him and the floor, one hand tenderly on her stomach.

"Shannon," she started. "I'm pregnant." She said it like it was the confession of a sin. He stared at her, astonished.

"You're what?" he asked, unsure if his ears heard right.

"I'm pregnant. You're going to be a father." She whispered, startled when he climbed off the bed. He walked over to her, touching her arms softly. She flinched, unsure if he wanted to be a father. He stared into her chocolate eyes and he took her hands in his. His thumb ran over the diamond studded ring on her small finger.

"Cara, you have no idea how happy you've made me." He smiled and pulled her into a soft kiss. He spun her in a wide circle, kissing her ardently. "Care Bear, I can't believe you are pregnant. I've always wanted a family and one with you is all the better." Cara smiled and kissed him back.

*END*

Now, Shannon sat in a hospital, awaiting the birth of his child. He had been on the road when Matt had called him; frantically proclaiming Cara had gone into labor. He had jumped on the first flight back to Cameron. Now he could only wait. His foot tapped impatiently as they waited. After what felt like hours, a doctor came out of the room. Shannon bolted up.

"How is she?" Shannon demanded.

"Cara is doing fine. She's delivered a nice, healthy baby boy. You can visit her right now, but we have to move her to another room soon. So a few minutes and once we move her you can visit a little more. She's just very tired right now." The doctor smiled. Shannon bolted past him into the room with their friends on his heels. Cara lay in the bed, her sweaty hair plastered to her head. Shannon kissed her forehead.

"Care Bear," he whispered. She was panting but cradling a small bundle in her arms. Her soft smile told him everything and she pulled back the blanket to unveil their new son. Shannon stood in awe, touching his son's pudgy cheek. "He's absolutely tiny and beautiful." Cara leaned her head on his shoulder and their four friends surrounded the bed. Ashley and Beth 'oohed' and 'aahed' at the tiny boy in her arms. Jeff and Matt smiled appreciatively. "Have you named him?" he asked. Cara shook her head. "I have an idea." He whispered the name in her ear and she smiled, nodding. Shannon gently took the small baby from her arms.

"Nero Matthew Moore." He proclaimed. Jeff and Matt stood in shock; Shannon had named his son after them. Ashley and Beth squealed in delight and hugged their men. Cara took back her son and she kissed Shannon. Two nurses came in and they stepped into the hall. Shannon was instantly in a hug from both Jeff and Matt.

Life was never better. Nothing could stop Shannon or Cara now. They had their son, their friends, and an open road to face together.

**FIN**

* * *

**And that is the end. I do have a couple of regrets about this story. I could fix them but I don't have that power and I'm kind of lazy.**

**1) Not enough Matt and Jeff**

**2) Having to divert from the ring story because Shannon got let go and improvise on my own**

**3) Forgetting about Jamie Noble twenty chapters back. Use your imagination on that one.**

**The end of Frostbite is not the end of me. I have a few stories I'm working on and I will think about posting them. If I had some bad moments in my writing, blame my muse, the fickle bitch. She ditches me after a week and doesn't come back for months. **

**Until our paths cross again,**

**EW;)**


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